Chinese word

回头

Pronunciation

Pinyinhuí tóu

Meaning

  • adverblater

Example

我回头告诉你结果。wǒ huí tóu gào sù nǐ jié guǒ

I'll tell you the result later.

Illustration for 回头 (later)

More examples

这件事我回头处理。zhè jiàn shì wǒ huí tóu chú lǐ

I'll deal with this later.

Core concept

Attention turns away from a matter for now, with a return to it expected.

Common phrases

  • 回头再说huí tóu zài shuō

    discuss it later

  • 回头见huí tóu jiàn

    see you later

  • 回头联系huí tóu lián xì

    contact you later

Similar words

一会儿yí huìr: A short while later, in a casual way.
稍后shāo hòu: A little later, in a somewhat formal way.
以后yǐ hòu: At any time after a given point, including a future time or a longer delay.
随后suí hòu: Immediately afterward, in a written or formal style.

Definition in Chinese

作副词，表示过一会儿、之后再进行某事或再次提及某话题，常与动词连用以表示暂时搁置再处理。zuò fù cí biǎo shì guò yí huìr zhī hòu zài jìn xíng mǒu shì huò zài cì tí jí mǒu huà tí cháng yǔ dòng cí lián yòng yǐ biǎo shì zàn shí gē zhì zài chú lǐ

Word origin

回 (huí, "return") + 头 (tóu, "head") evokes turning back, which extends naturally from a physical return to returning to a matter later.

Usage tips

  • As an adverb, it usually comes before the verb it postpones, unlike common English, which often places later after the verb.

Opposites

Related words

  • 回头客huí tóu kèrepeat customernoun
  • 回头率huí tóu lǜrepeat-customer ratenoun

Word lists with this word