English–Chinese
“shake one's head” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinyáo tóu
Example
我问她喜不喜欢，她摇头说不喜欢。wǒ wèn tā xǐ bù xǐ huān tā yáo tóu shuō bù xǐ huān
When I asked her if she liked it, she shook her head and said she didn't.
How to say “shake one's head” in Chinese
“Shake one's head” in Chinese is 摇头 (yáo tóu).
A side-to-side movement of the head that signals a negative response.
Example sentences with 摇头
记者质问时，官员当场摇头，否认这些指控。jì zhě zhì wèn shí guān yuán dāng chǎng yáo tóu fǒu rèn zhè xiē zhǐ kòng
When a reporter questioned him, the official shook his head on the spot and denied these accusations.
Tips for using 摇头
- In everyday Chinese, the gesture can serve as the whole answer to a yes-or-no question, so the spoken reply may be shorter than an English learner expects.