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回頭

简回头 · 繁回頭

Mandarin · pinyin huí tóu

to turn round; to turn one's head
later; by and by

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Characters in this entry

回: huí · return, turn around; a time
頭: tóu · head; top; chief, first; boss
头: tóu · head; top; chief, first; boss

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–2 · hui2 tou2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

回頭 · find source passages ↗ · 回头 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 8 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

wui4 tau4

Cantonese word readings for 回頭. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

(literally) to turn round; to turn one's head back
(figuratively) to repent
(literary or Northern Wu) to decline (a request); to reject; to turn down
(Northern Wu) to tell; to inform
(Northern Wu) to part with; to say goodbye to
(Northern Wu) to dismiss; to fire

adv

later

noun

(literary) letter in reply

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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