• head;
  • top;
  • chief;
  • beginning;

Etymology

Phono-semantic compound:

頁 (머리 혈, “head, page”), indicating “head.”

豆 (두, “bean, vessel”), providing the sound.

Thus, 頭 originally denoted “head” literally, and later extended metaphorically to “chief, leader,” and “beginning.”

Usage in Korean

頭髮 (두발) — hair

頭腦 (두뇌) — brain, intellect

頭痛 (두통) — headache

先頭 (선두) — the lead, the very front

頭家 (두가) — head of a family; leader

Additional notes

Often used figuratively for “leader” (e.g., 頭目 “chief, boss”) or “first/beginning” (e.g., 開頭 “beginning”).

머리
meori
du
Kangxi radical:181, + 7
Strokes:16
Unicode:U+982D
Cangjie input:
  • 一廿一月金 (MTMBC)
Composition:
  • ⿰ 豆 頁

Neighboring characters in the dictionary

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