枕头 (zhěn tou) — pillow | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

枕头 (zhěn tou) is the everyday noun for 'pillow.' The related 枕 (zhěn) is the verb form 'to rest one's head on.'

noun

pillow

Measure word · 个

枕头。
Wǒ xǐ huan yòng ruǎn de zhěn tou shuì jiào.
I like to sleep with a soft pillow.
枕头。
Wǒ zài shāng diàn mǎi le yí gè xīn zhěn tou.
I bought a new pillow at the store.
枕头。
Lǚ xíng shí wǒ huì dài zì jǐ de zhěn tou.
When I travel, I bring my own pillow.

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

枕zhěnto rest on

头tóuassociated thing

枕 means to rest on, and 头 indicates the thing used for that action.

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.

木冘枕

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

冘

冘yóu枕zhěn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

枕 is written with 木 (wood) beside 冘; 木 is the meaning part and 冘 the sound part.

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.

豆頁頭

Meaning part形符xíngfú

頁頁yèhead

Sound part声符shēngfú

豆

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.

Appears in