脑袋

腦袋

nǎodai

noun HSK 4 #1,320

Meanings

Literally 'brain bag' — the container for your brain, i.e. your head

Tā zhuàng dào le nǎodai.

He bumped his head.

Nǐ de nǎodai lǐ zài xiǎng shénme?

What are you thinking about in that head of yours?

Tā nǎodai hěn cōngming.

He has a smart brain.

usage

脑袋 is more colloquial than 头 (tóu). Use 头 in neutral contexts and 脑袋 in casual speech or when emphasizing brainpower. 摇脑袋 means to shake one's head.

memory

Picture a bag (袋) containing a brain (脑) sitting on your shoulders — that's your 脑袋.

脑 nǎo

袋 dài