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猪头 (zhū tóu) — pig's head (as food or body part); (colloquial, derogatory) blockhead, stupid person

Definition

Literally 'pig's head,' used as food or body part, and as a colloquial insult meaning 'blockhead / idiot.' It is a concrete, slightly rude term — not a general word for 'fool,' only used for someone acting pig-headedly.

noun
pig's head (as food or body part)(colloquial, derogatory) blockheadstupid person
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 猪头。
    Zhè ge zhū tóu bú tài xīn xiān.
    This pig's head isn't very fresh.
  • 猪头！
    Nǐ zhēn shì yí gè dà zhū tóu!
    You really are a big blockhead!
  • 猪头。
    Bié xiàng gè zhū tóu yí yàng zhàn zhe bú dòng.
    Don't stand there like a blockhead doing nothing.

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.

猪zhūpig
头tóuhead

猪 names the animal and 头 names the body part, giving a pig's head, extended to a stupid person.

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
犭Written in full as犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě猪zhū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

猪 combines 犭, a dog sign, with 者 as a sound part.

Open 猪 →

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 PartsMeat & Seafood

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