Meanings of 头脑
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Podcast: 头脑
Podcast: 头脑
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AI Study Notes for 头脑
思维 (sīwéi) - use 头脑 when referring to the physical brain or mental capacity, while 思维 emphasizes the process of thinking.
Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing 头脑, as mispronouncing it can change the meaning entirely. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts but is particularly prevalent in discussions about intelligence or leadership.
Although 头脑 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects to HSK 3 and HSK 4 words related to thoughts and ideas, such as 思想 (sīxiǎng, thought) and 理解 (lǐjiě, understanding). Focus on context and usage in sentences for better comprehension.
Learners often confuse 头脑 with 脑袋 (nǎodai), which is more informal and typically refers to the physical head. For example, saying '我没有头脑' (wǒ méiyǒu tóunǎo) to mean 'I have no brain' is incorrect; it should be '我没有脑袋' for a more casual tone.
Pronunciation of 头脑
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Jason Explains 头脑 to You
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Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
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Component Characters
How to say brains in Chinese
“brains” in Chinese is头脑
头脑 (tóunǎo) refers to the brain or mind in a literal sense, but it can also imply the cognitive and decision-making aspects of a person. It is often used to describe someone's intellect or mental capability, as well as to denote the essence or main idea of a situation.
When to use 头脑
Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing 头脑, as mispronouncing it can change the meaning entirely. It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts but is particularly prevalent in discussions about intelligence or leadership.
头脑 or something close to it
思维 (sīwéi) - use 头脑 when referring to the physical brain or mental capacity, while 思维 emphasizes the process of thinking.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 头脑 with 脑袋 (nǎodai), which is more informal and typically refers to the physical head. For example, saying '我没有头脑' (wǒ méiyǒu tóunǎo) to mean 'I have no brain' is incorrect; it should be '我没有脑袋' for a more casual tone.
Write 头脑
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Practice writing 头脑 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Common Confusions with 头脑
Commonly confused due to phonetic similarity with '脑'.
Similar in sound and meaning, but '头' means 'head' and '脑' means 'brain'.
Which one
Which one means “brains”?
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Frequently Asked Questions about 头脑
头脑 refers specifically to intellectual thinking and cognitive processes, while 心 encompasses emotions and feelings.
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