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摇头

搖頭
yáotóu
verb HSK 5 #9,032

Meanings

  1. 1 to shake one's head (to indicate 'no' or disapproval)

Characters

摇
yáo
to shake; to wave
头
tóu
head
To shake one's head — a universal gesture of disagreement.

Examples

他摇了摇头，什么也没说。
Tā yáo le yáo tóu, shénme yě méi shuō.
He shook his head and said nothing.
妈妈摇头表示不同意。
Māma yáotóu biǎoshì bù tóngyì.
Mom shook her head to show she disagreed.
他对这个结果摇头叹气。
Tā duì zhège jiéguǒ yáotóu tànqì.
He shook his head and sighed at the result.

Tips

usage
Opposite: 点头 (diǎntóu) = to nod. 摇头 = disagree, 点头 = agree. These body language meanings are the same in Chinese and Western culture.
usage
摇头晃脑 (yáotóu huàngnǎo) is an idiom meaning to shake one's head while reciting — describes someone reading aloud in the old scholarly style.

Stroke Order

摇 yáo
头 tóu