頭痛

• Reading: ずつう
• Romaji: zutsuu
• Kanji breakdown: 頭 (zu/atama) — head; 痛 (tsuu/ita) — pain
• Pronunciation: /zɯ.tsɯː/

Meaning

Headache; a pain in the head.

A noun combining 'head' and 'pain.' Used both literally for a physical headache and figuratively as 頭痛の種 (a source of worry or headache). A very practical medical/daily-life term that N3 learners encounter frequently.

Examples

1. 朝から頭痛がひどくて仕事に集中できない。 I've had a terrible headache since this morning and can't focus on work.
2. 頭痛薬を飲んだら少し楽になった。 I felt a bit better after taking some headache medicine.
3. この問題は本当に頭痛の種だ。 This problem is a real headache.

Usage Guide

Context: health, daily life, medical

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 頭 (head) and 痛 (pain). A straightforward compound following the Chinese-derived pattern of body part + symptom, common in medical terminology.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal