盼头 (pàn tóu) — something to look forward to; hope (for the fut…

Definition

盼头 is something good you look forward to ahead — hope, prospect, a reason to keep going. Almost always used with 有 or 没: 没什么盼头, 有盼头.

noun

something to look forward tohope (for the future)prospect

，盼头。
Suī rán xiàn zài hěn xīn kǔ, dàn shēng huó zǒng suàn yǒu le pàn tóu.
Although it's hard now, life finally has some hope.
盼头，。
Zhè fèn gōng zuò méi shén me pàn tóu, wǒ xiǎng huàn gè huán jìng.
This job has no prospects — I want to change my environment.
，盼头。
Hái zi kǎo shàng dà xué, jiā lǐ jiù yǒu le pàn tóu.
Once the child gets into university, the family has something to look forward to.

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.

盼pànlook forward

盼 gives looking forward; 头 points to the thing hoped for, so it means a prospect.

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.

目分盼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

分

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

盼 is made of 目 and 分; 分 gives the sound.

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