Updated July 2026
What does 上头 mean?
上头 (shàng tóu) means hooked / it goes to your head in everyday Chinese slang. To be carried away, hooked, or hot-headed — like alcohol going to your head. Used for anything addictive or for acting on impulse. Literally, it means "(it) goes to the head".
Hear it explained
A 30-second take on 上头 — what it means, where it came from, and how to use it.
When something hits you like a drink going straight to your head — a show, a crush, a game you can't stop — that's 上头, shàng tóu. 这部剧太上头了，我一晚上看了十集. Ten episodes deep, no regrets, slightly dizzy.
Example
这部剧太上头了，我一晚上看了十集。
Zhè bù jù tài shàngtóu le, wǒ yī wǎnshang kàn le shí jí.
This show is so addictive — I binged ten episodes in one night.
What 上头 goes with
Where 上头 comes from
Originally described liquor "rushing to the head". It widened to any obsessive rush, or losing your cool in the heat of the moment.
Related slang
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