Chinese word

点头

Pronunciation

Pinyindiǎn tóu

Meaning

  • verbnod

Example

她听完后微笑着点头。tā tīng wán hòu wēi xiào zhe diǎn tóu

After she finished listening, she smiled and nodded.

Illustration for 点头 (nod)

More examples

听到这个消息，他点头同意了。tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xī tā diǎn tóu tóng yì le

After hearing this news, he nodded in agreement.

Core concept

A small movement of the head that shows agreement or approval without words.

Common phrases

  • 点头同意diǎn tóu tóng yì

    nod in agreement

  • 微笑着点头wēi xiào zhe diǎn tóu

    smile and nod

Similar words

同意tóng yì: Agreeing to accept an opinion or proposal.
答应dā yìng: Accepting a request with a promise to fulfill it.
摇头yáo tóu: A side-to-side head movement expresses refusal or disapproval.

Definition in Chinese

用头或微微低头表示同意或认可的动作。yòng tóu huò wēi wēi dī tóu biǎo shì tóng yì huò rèn kě de dòng zuò

Word origin

点头 (diǎntóu, "nod") combines 点 (diǎn, "touch lightly") + 头 (tóu, "head"), picturing the head making a small movement to show agreement.

Usage tips

  • In a classroom, one brief movement often shows that a child accepts what was said, while several strong movements can show especially clear approval.

Other meanings

  • agreeverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word