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带头 (dài tóu) — to take the lead; to set an example

Definition

带头 means stepping up first to set an example others follow. Unlike 率先 (adverb, modifies a verb: 率先发言), 带头 is a verb usable alone (带个头); 牵头 emphasizes organizing/coordination; 以身作则 is a more formal idiom.

verb
to take the leadto set an example

Examples

  • 。
    Tā dài le gè hǎo tóu.
    He set a good example.
  • 带头。
    Zhè cì rèn wu yóu nǐ dài tóu.
    You take the lead on this task.
  • ，带头。
    Dà jiā dōu bù shuō huà, tā dì yī gè dài tóu fā yán.
    No one spoke; he was the first to speak up.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

带dàilead
头tóufront; first place

带 means to lead and 头 refers to the front or first place, together describing taking the lead.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 帶; 带 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 帶 was drawn as a woven belt; the simplified 带 is a later shorthand.

Open 带 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Management

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