Definition
过头 (guò tóu) is an adjective used as a complement after verbs and adjectives to mean 'too much, over the top' (e.g., 辣过头了 'too spicy'; 开玩笑过头 'take a joke too far'). Unlike 过分 (guò fèn 'excessive, going too far' as a full adjective) or 过度 (guò dù 'excessive' in formal/factual contexts), 过头 attaches directly to the word it modifies. It is more colloquial than 过度 and does not have the positive 'very' sense that 太 has.
adjective
excessiveover the toptoo much (used as a complement after adjectives or verbs)
Examples
- 过头，。Tā kāi wánxiào kāi guò tóu le, dàjiā dōu shēngqì le.He took the joke too far, and everyone got angry.
- 过头，。Nǐ qiānxū guò tóu le, nǐ de shuǐpíng qíshí hěn gāo.You are being too modest; your level is actually very high.
- 过头，。Zhège cài zuò de là guò tóu le, wǒ chī bù liǎo.This dish is made too spicy; I can't eat it.
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