头发

• Pinyin: tóu fa
• Hanzi breakdown: 头 = head; 发 = simplified from 髮 (hair) — hair on the head

Meaning

Hair (on the head). The hair growing on a person's head.

Specifically refers to head hair, not body hair (which is 毛 or 体毛). Common in everyday conversations about appearance, haircuts, and styling. Often used with adjectives like 长 (long), 短 (short), 黑 (black), and verbs like 剪 (cut), 洗 (wash).

Examples

1. 她的头发很长很漂亮。 Her hair is very long and beautiful.
2. 我想去剪头发。 I want to go get a haircut.
3. 洗完头发记得吹干。 Remember to blow-dry your hair after washing it.

Usage Guide

Context: appearance, daily life, grooming

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你的头发好长啊！(Your hair is so long!)
• 他把头发剪短了。(He cut his hair short.)

Don't Say

• 我的腿上有很多头发 (Don't use 头发 for body hair — it only means head hair; use 毛 or 体毛 for hair on other body parts)

Origin & History

头 (tóu, head) + 发 (fa, hair). Simplified from 頭髮. The hair that grows on the head.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal