出头

• Pinyin: chū tóu
• Desglose de hanzi: 出 = to emerge; 头 = 大 + 页 = head

Significado

Salir adelante; destacar; prosperar; también: y pico (con números).

Two main uses: (1) to rise to prominence or success, often after hardship; (2) as a suffix meaning 'a bit more than' with numbers (e.g., 三十出头 = early thirties). Also can mean to take the lead or stick one's neck out.

Ejemplos

1. 她奋斗了二十年，终于出头了。
2. 他看起来三十出头，实际上已经四十了。
3. 这件事太复杂，没人愿意出头去管。

Guía de uso

Contexto: success, age, leadership

Tono: neutral

Correcto

• 穷人家的孩子想要出头不容易。(It's not easy for kids from poor families to get ahead.)
• 她二十出头就创业成功了。(She successfully started her own business when she was just past twenty.)

Incorrecto

• 我出头了一下 (Doesn't work as a momentary action — use 出面 for brief intervention)

Origen e historia

Compound of 出 (to emerge) and 头 (head). Originally meaning to raise one's head above others.

Contexto cultural

Generación: All ages

Contexto social: Universal