枕头

枕頭

zhěntou

noun HSK 7 #4,118

Meanings

1 pillow

Characters

pillow; to rest one's head on

noun suffix (neutral tone)

枕 carries the meaning (pillow/rest head), while 头 is a common noun suffix that doesn't add meaning — like in 石头 (stone) or 木头 (wood).

Examples

这个枕头太硬了。

Zhège zhěntou tài yìng le.

This pillow is too hard.

我喜欢软一点的枕头。

Wǒ xǐhuan ruǎn yìdiǎn de zhěntou.

I prefer a softer pillow.

Tips

culture

Traditional Chinese pillows were made of hard materials — porcelain, jade, or wood. The idiom 高枕无忧 (gāozhěn-wúyōu, 'sleep on a high pillow without worry') means to feel completely at ease, from the idea that you can relax fully when there's no danger.

Stroke Order

枕 zhěn

头 tóu