Chinese word

理发

Pronunciation

Pinyinlǐ fà

Meaning

  • verbget a haircut

Example

我要去理发。wǒ yào qù lǐ fà

I am going to get a haircut.

Illustration for 理发 (get a haircut)

More examples

他想留长发，所以不想理发。tā xiǎng liú cháng fà suó yǐ bù xiǎng lǐ fà

He wants to grow his hair long, so he does not want to get a haircut.

Core concept

A person's hair is put into a neater, chosen shape by cutting, trimming, or styling it.

Common phrases

  • 去理发qù lǐ fà

    go get a haircut

  • 给妈妈理发gěi mā mā lǐ fà

    give Mom a haircut

  • 自己理发zì jǐ lǐ fà

    cut one's own hair

Similar words

剪头发jiǎn tóu fa: Cutting hair with scissors to change its length or shape.
做头发zuò tóu fa: Styling hair through setting, perming, or other treatments to create a fashionable look.

Definition in Chinese

剪、修整头发或为头发造型的动作或服务。jiǎn xiū zhěng tóu fa huò wèi tóu fa zào xíng de dòng zuò huò fú wù

Word origin

理 (lǐ, "arrange") + 发 (fà, "hair") forms a transparent compound for arranging hair, and the simplified form 发 is used for the hair character.

Usage tips

  • Unlike some English service terms, 理发 (lǐfà, "hair care") is gender-neutral and does not specify a short cut, so context determines the exact service.

Other meanings

  • haircutnoun

Opposites

  • 留长发liú cháng fàgrow one's hair longverb

Related words

  • 理发店lǐ fà diànbarber shopnoun
  • 理发师lǐ fà shībarbernoun

Word lists with this word