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头条 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
头条tóutiáolead story (on the news)HSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, rank #18175, Very Hard
tóutiáo(tou2tiao2) T2
  1. 1lead story (on the news)
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March 24, 2026

头条(頭條)tóutiáo(tou2tiao2)

头条 (tóutiáo) refers to the lead story or headline news item in a newspaper or news broadcast. It represents the most important news of the day, often capturing significant events that are of public interest.

Strokes12Frequency#18175DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In China, the concept of 头条 is significant, especially with the rise of digital media; it reflects the importance of information dissemination and public discourse. Major events like government announcements or natural disasters often dominate the 头条.

Memory Tip

Imagine a big, bold headline at the top (头) of a newspaper that catches your eye first. The '条' part looks like a straight line – like underlining the most important news. Together, they form '头条' – the top line of news.

Meanings of 头条

tóutiáo(tou2tiao2)
1lead story (on the news)
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 头条

头条Simplified
頭條Traditional
12Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 头条

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Podcast: 头条

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AI Study Notes for 头条

Quick Contrast

头条 (tóutiáo) vs 新闻 (xīnwén) — use 头条 for the lead story specifically, while 新闻 refers to news in general.

Usage Notes

头条 is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts when discussing news. Be cautious with its tone; it is not used to describe less significant stories. A common collocation is '新闻头条' (xīnwén tóutiáo), meaning 'news headline.'

HSK Study Tips

While 头条 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it can be associated with HSK 3 and above due to its relevance in discussing current events. Students should focus on news-related vocabulary to understand its context better.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 头条 with similar words like 文章 (wénzhāng, article) or 消息 (xiāoxī, news). For example, saying '今天的文章是关于新政策的' (Today's article is about the new policy) instead of '今天的头条是关于新政策的' is incorrect in the context of highlighting the lead story.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 头条

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Component Characters

头tóuhead
HSK 25 strokes大
View full entry
条tiáostrip
HSK 27 strokes木
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How to say lead story (on the news) in Chinese

“lead story (on the news)” in Chinese is头条tóutiáo

头条 (tóutiáo) refers to the lead story or headline news item in a newspaper or news broadcast. It represents the most important news of the day, often capturing significant events that are of public interest.

When to use 头条

头条 is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts when discussing news. Be cautious with its tone; it is not used to describe less significant stories. A common collocation is '新闻头条' (xīnwén tóutiáo), meaning 'news headline.'

头条 or something close to it

头条 (tóutiáo) vs 新闻 (xīnwén) — use 头条 for the lead story specifically, while 新闻 refers to news in general.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 头条 with similar words like 文章 (wénzhāng, article) or 消息 (xiāoxī, news). For example, saying '今天的文章是关于新政策的' (Today's article is about the new policy) instead of '今天的头条是关于新政策的' is incorrect in the context of highlighting the lead story.

Write 头条

头
条

Practice writing 头条 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 头条

You can say '今天的头条是关于新政策的' (Today's lead story is about the new policy).

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