Chinese word

过头

Pronunciation

Pinyinguò tóu

Meaning

  • adjectivetoo much

Example

你这样做有点过头。nǐ zhè yàng zuò yóu diǎn guò tóu

You're taking it a little too far.

Illustration for 过头 (too much)

More examples

大家讨论这个问题的时候不要说得太过头。dà jiā tǎo lùn zhè ge wèn tí de shí hòu bú yào shuō de tài guò tóu

When discussing this issue, don't take what you say too far.

Core concept

A line marks what is enough, and this word describes something that steps beyond it into needless excess.

Common phrases

  • 有点儿过头yóu diǎnr guò tóu

    a bit too much

  • 批评过头pī píng guò tóu

    criticize too much

  • 夸奖过头kuā jiǎng guò tóu

    praise too much

Similar words

过分guò fèn: Exceeding what is reasonable or acceptable, often making an action or demand hard to accept.
过火guò huǒ: Becoming extreme in words or actions, with a forceful or heated quality.
过度guò dù: Exceeding what is needed in amount or intensity.

Definition in Chinese

做法或状态超出正常或合适的范围，含有过度、不必要的意思。zuò fǎ huò zhuàng tài chāo chū zhèng cháng huò hé shì de fàn wéi hán yǒu guò dù bú bì yào de yì si

Word origin

过 (guò, "to pass") + 头 (tóu, "head or end") treats the proper degree as a boundary and describes what goes beyond that boundary.

Usage tips

  • Small degree words can soften the judgment, while an emphatic ending can make the same assessment sound more critical.

Other meanings

  • overkillnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word