Chinese Conversation · Level 41
90 words
Chinese word
脑袋
Pronunciation
Pinyinnǎo dài
Meaning
- nounhead
Example
他用手摸了摸脑袋，想了想。tā yòng shǒu mō le mō nǎo dài xiǎng le xiǎng
He touched his head with his hand and thought for a moment.
More examples
考试时，他突然脑袋一片空白，什么也想不起来。kǎo shì shí tā tū rán nǎo dài yí piàn kòng bái shén me yě xiǎng bù qǐ lái
During the exam, his mind suddenly went blank, and he couldn't remember anything.
Core concept
A person's whole head, closely associated with the brain and the thinking done inside it.
Common phrases
脑袋一片空白nǎo dài yí piàn kòng bái
mind goes blank
低着脑袋dī zhe nǎo dài
hang one's head
歪着脑袋wāi zhe nǎo dài
tilt one's head
Similar words
脑子nǎo zi: The brain and its mental activity, including thoughts and memories, in everyday speech.
头脑tóu nǎo: The mental power used for thinking, reasoning, and judgment.
头tóu: The general physical part of the body that sits above the neck.
Definition in Chinese
口语中用于指人的头及其内的大脑，也常用来表示思考状态或智力，语气比单纯的“头”更随意。kóu yǔ zhōng yòng yú zhǐ rén de tóu jí qí nèi de dà nǎo yě cháng yòng lái biǎo shì sī kǎo zhuàng tài huò zhì lì yǔ qì bǐ dān chún de tóu gèng suí yì
Word origin
In 脑袋 (nǎodài, "head"), 脑 (nǎo, "brain") is paired with 袋 (dài, "bag"), giving a vivid container image that supports both the physical and mental senses.
Usage tips
- It fits relaxed conversation and expressive personal remarks better than medical or official writing, where a more neutral term is normally expected.