Chinese word

头疼

Pronunciation

Pinyintóu téng

Meaning

  • verbhave a headache

Example

我现在有点头疼。wǒ xiàn zài yóu diǎn tóu téng

I have a bit of a headache right now.

Illustration for 头疼 (have a headache)

More examples

这件事总让我头疼，不知道怎么办。zhè jiàn shì zǒng ràng wǒ tóu téng bù zhī dào zěn me bàn

This matter always gives me a headache, and I don't know what to do.

Core concept

Discomfort focused on the head and, by extension, the mental strain of facing a troublesome situation.

Common phrases

  • 有点头疼yóu diǎn tóu téng

    have a bit of a headache

  • 头疼得厉害tóu téng de lì hài

    have a terrible headache

  • 让人头疼ràng rén tóu téng

    give people a headache

Similar words

麻烦má fán: Make something troublesome and difficult to deal with.
为难wéi nán: Feel troubled by a situation and not know how to respond.
困扰kùn rǎo: Cause ongoing worry or unease that makes a problem hard to deal with.
头痛tóu tòng: Experience head pain that gets in the way of daily activities.

Definition in Chinese

头部感到疼痛，常指生理上的头痛，口语中也可引申为对某事感到为难或烦恼。tóu bù gǎn dào téng tòng cháng zhǐ shēng lǐ shàng de tóu tòng kóu yǔ zhōng yě kě yǐn shēn wèi duì mǒu shì gǎn dào wéi nán huò fán nǎo

Word origin

头疼 (tóuténg, "headache") joins 头 (tóu, "head") with 疼 (téng, "hurt"), making the move from physical pain to difficulty or worry easy to recognize.

Usage tips

  • Because the word is common in conversation, degree adverbs can soften it into a mild complaint instead of a strong medical statement.

Other meanings

  • headachenoun
  • be botheredverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word