零头 (líng tóu) — odd change; leftover amount (of money or material)

Definition

A colloquial noun for the small leftover remainder after a round number — either coins of change or scraps of material. In money contexts it is informal; in material contexts it means leftover bits.

noun
odd changeleftover amount (of money or material)

Examples

  • ，零头。
    Tā zhī shōu le zhěng shù, líng tóu jiù bú yào le.
    He only collected the round number and didn't want the odd change.
  • 零头。
    Zhè xiē bù liào de líng tóu kě yǐ yòng lái zuò xiǎo dài zi.
    The leftover scraps of this cloth can be used to make small bags.
  • 零头，。
    Bú yòng zhǎo líng tóu le, shèng xià de xiǎo fèi nǐ ná zhe.
    Don't bother with the change; keep the rest as a tip.

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.

零língodd/leftover
头tóusuffix

零 refers to an odd or leftover amount, and 头 indicates the bit or remainder.

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
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng零líng
Same sound today

In 零, the 雨 part depicts thick raindrops falling from the sky; the 令 part gives the sound.

Open 零 →

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 →

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