脑袋

腦袋

nǎodai

noun HSK 4 #1,320

Meanings

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

他撞到了脑袋。

Tā zhuàngdào le nǎodai.

He bumped his head.

你的脑袋里在想什么？

Nǐ de nǎodai lǐ zài xiǎng shénme?

What are you thinking about in that head of yours?

他脑袋很聪明。

Tā nǎodai hěn cōngming.

He has a smart brain.

usage

脑袋 is more colloquial than 头. 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 is your 脑袋.

脑 nǎo

袋 dài