ChiramiN4 kanji · 16 strokes
頭 means head
豆 bean · 頁 head
頭Memory trick
A head (頁) as round as a bean (豆): head.
Memory trick: a picture to help you remember the kanji, not its history.
Meaning and readings
- Meaning
- head
- JLPT level
- N4
- Strokes
- 16
- School grade
- Grade 2 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) あたま atama
あたま (atama) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
Other Japanese readings: かしら kashira, かぶり kaburi
From Chinese (onyomi) トウ tou
トウ (tou) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Other readings from Chinese: ズ zu, ト to
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
先頭 せんとう · sentou
head, front
Built from
- 豆 beans
- 口 mouth
- 頁 head
- 貝 shell, money
- 目 eye
- 八 eight, split apart
- 丷 split apart
Tap a part to see the N5 and N4 kanji that use it.
豆 Used in 12 kanji
頁 Used in 25 kanji
See all 3 at N5 and N4目 Used in 136 kanji
See all 14 at N5 and N4丷 Used in 140 kanji
See all 17 at N5 and N4Quick check
What does 頭 mean?
Right: 頭 means head.Not quite: 頭 means head.In 先頭, which reading does 頭 use?
Right. 先頭 is read せんとう (sentou): 頭 takes トウ, its reading from Chinese.Not quite. 先頭 is read せんとう (sentou): 頭 takes トウ, its reading from Chinese.