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看头 (kàn tou) — something worth seeing or reading (colloquial)

Definition

A colloquial, informal noun meaning 'something worth seeing or reading.' Built from the verb 看 + -头 suffix, it's a separable-style noun used after 有/没什么 to comment on whether a movie, book, or event is worth the time.

noun
something worth seeing or reading (colloquial)

Examples

  • 看头，。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng hěn yǒu kàn tou, dà jiā dōu tuī jiàn.
    This movie is worth watching; everyone recommends it.
  • 看头，。
    Nà běn xiǎo shuō méi shén me kàn tou, dú le yí bàn jiù fàng xià le.
    That novel isn't worth reading; I put it down halfway through.
  • ？
    Zhè chǎng bǐ sài yǒu kàn tou ma?
    Is this match worth watching?

Origin

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.

看kànlook
头tóu

看 and 头 combine to mean something worth seeing.

Characters in this word

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

The shape 看 puts 手 (hand) over 目 (eye), showing a hand placed above the eyes to gaze into the distance.

Open 看 →

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
Abstract Concepts

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