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奶头 (nǎi tóu) — nipple (colloquial)

Definition

Colloquial word for 'nipple' (the body part). In medical or formal contexts 乳头 (rǔtóu) is preferred.

noun
nipple (colloquial)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 奶头。
    Tā de nǎi tóu hěn mǐn gǎn.
    Her nipples are very sensitive.
  • 奶头。
    Yīng ér zhèng zài xī mā ma de nǎi tóu.
    The baby is sucking on mom's nipple.
  • 奶头。
    Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de nǎi tóu.
    The doctor examined her nipple.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

奶nǎibreast/milk
头tóuprojecting end

奶头 refers to the nipple: 奶 points to the breast/milk, and 头 names the small projecting end.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
女女nǚ
Sound part声符shēngfú
乃
乃nǎi奶nǎi
Same sound today

奶 combines 女, a woman, and 乃, which gives the sound.

Open 奶 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu頭tóu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

Open 头 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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