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馒头 (mán tou) — steamed bun, mantou (a type of leavened, steamed bread roll)

Definition

Plain steamed bun with no filling. Unlike 包子 (which is stuffed) and 面包 (baked bread, not steamed), 馒头 is a simple, often slightly sweet or neutral white roll.

noun
steamed bunmantou (a type of leavened, steamed bread roll)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 馒头。
    Wǒ zǎo shàng chī yí gè mán tou.
    I eat a steamed bun in the morning.
  • 馒头。
    Shāng diàn mài de mán tou hěn hǎo chī.
    The steamed buns sold at the store are very tasty.
  • 馒头。
    Mā ma zuò de mán tou bǐ wài miàn de hǎo chī.
    The steamed buns my mom makes are better than the ones from outside.

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.

馒mánsteamed bun
头tóufixed ending

The word names a steamed bun, with 头 added to 馒 as a fixed ending.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 饅; 馒 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
食食shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
曼
曼màn饅
Same sound today

The traditional form 饅 pairs 食 (food) with 曼 (màn) for the sound; the simplified 馒 is a later shorthand.

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
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 5Grains & Staples

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