Question 1

What does 头发 mean in Chinese?

Accepted Answer

头发 (tóufa) means the hair on a person's head — and ONLY that. Chinese is more precise than English here: 头发 is scalp hair; 毛 covers body hair / animal fur; 胡子 is facial hair / beard. Note the second character 发 is pronounced 'fa' (neutral tone) here, not the standard 'fā' — a common pronunciation trap.

Common verbs: 剪头发 ('cut hair'), 洗头发 / 洗头 ('wash hair'), 染头发 ('dye hair'), 梳头发 ('comb hair'). To talk about a hairstyle, native speakers say 发型 (fàxíng) — and here 发 returns to the first tone. Length descriptors: 长头发 ('long hair'), 短头发 ('short hair')

Question 2

How do you pronounce 头发?

Accepted Answer

头发 is pronounced tóufa — 头 (tóu), 发 (fa).

Question 3

Is 头发 a noun, verb, or something else?

Accepted Answer

头发 is a noun, register: neutral.

Question 4

What is the measure word for 头发?

Accepted Answer

Use 根 (gēn). Example: 一根头发 — single strand. Other measure words: 头 (tóu).

Question 5

What's the difference between 头发 and 毛?

Accepted Answer

毛 is body hair / animal fur / feathers. Use 头发 strictly for hair on the human head; 毛 for everything else (arm hair, dog fur).

Question 6

What's the difference between 头发 and 胡子?

Accepted Answer

胡子 is facial hair / beard / mustache. Don't use 头发 for what grows below the chin.

头发

What does 头发 mean?

Character breakdown

Measure word for 头发

Example sentences

Common phrases with 头发

Synonyms

Don't confuse 头发 with

FAQ

Hear 头发 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.