探头探脑 (tàn tóu tàn nǎo) — to pop one's head in and look about furtively; to act stealthily or sneakily

Definition

An idiom meaning 'peeking around furtively, acting sneakily' — describes the cautious, nosey body language of someone looking around as if trying not to be seen.

idiom
to pop one's head in and look about furtivelyto act stealthily or sneakily

Examples

  • 探头探脑，。
    Nà ge rén zài mén kǒu tàn tóu tàn nǎo de, yí kàn jiù bú shì hǎo rén.
    That person was peeking around the door furtively — clearly not a good person.
  • 探头探脑，。
    Tā tàn tóu tàn nǎo dì zǒu jìn fáng jiān, shēng pà bèi rén fā xiàn.
    He crept into the room stealthily, afraid of being discovered.
  • 探头探脑，。
    Bǎo ān kàn dào yǒu rén zài cāng kù wài miàn tàn tóu tàn nǎo, lì kè bào le jǐng.
    The security guard saw someone snooping around outside the warehouse and immediately called the police.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

探头stretch out the head
探tànstretch out头tóuhead
动宾Verb + object
探脑stretch out the neck
探tànstretch out脑nǎoneck
动宾Verb + object

“探头” and “探脑” both show stretching out to peek.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥥍
𥥍𥥍探tàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 探, the 扌 part is a hand, and 𥥍 gives the sound.

Open 探 →

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 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥥍
𥥍𥥍探tàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 探, the 扌 part is a hand, and 𥥍 gives the sound.

Open 探 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 腦; 脑 is its simplified writing.

  • 匕匕bǐ
  • 巛巛chuānhair
  • 囟囟xìnhead; fontanel

In the traditional form 腦, the older part 匕 was replaced by a flesh part, while 巛 (hair) and 囟 (head; fontanel) stayed. The simplified 脑 is a later abbreviation.

Open 脑 →

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