上頭
简 上头 · 繁 上頭Meanings
- superior or supervisor in line; boss (Cantonese)
About these definitions
Source definition segments, in their original order. Characters a definition cites are shown without their Mandarin pinyin; classifier lists that CC-Canto copied from CC-CEDICT are marked Mandarin. The community dictionary is not independently verified by zimai.
Reading & tones
Schematic citation-tone diagrams from the source numbers. These are not recordings or predictions of connected speech.
Same syllable, six tones
Characters whose customary Unihan reading (kCantonese) is this syllable in each tone, chosen as in the tone atlas (2013 standard level, then the number of CC-CEDICT words they form), with CC-Canto 2017's meaning for that reading; a dash means no catalogue character has that reading. Checked syllables (-p, -t, -k) normally carry tones 1, 3 and 6. Character readings, not word readings; no frequency implied.
Written characters
Both source spellings are represented. Written membership is not an etymological or semantic claim.
Mandarin comparison · separate source entries
CC-CEDICT, the Mandarin–English dictionary, lists the same written form:
- 上頭 shàng tóu CC-CEDICT · Mandarin(of alcohol, love etc) to go to one's head; (of an idea, a song etc) to get into one's head; to capture one's attention; (old) (of a girl on her wedding day) to start wearing one's hair in a bun (rather than a plait)
- 上頭 shàng tou CC-CEDICT · Mandarinthe top; the upper part; (its) surface; the authorities; those in charge; the higher-ups
A separate source entry, shown for comparison. The same characters can carry different senses in Mandarin and in Cantonese; zimai does not align these senses.
CC-Canto includes this pinyin reference: shang4 tou5. It does not establish a Mandarin word with the same meaning.
Look up this spelling in the Mandarin dictionary ↗Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 11 senses · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
soeng6 tau4
Cantonese word readings for 上頭. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
noun
- higher authorities
- aspect; respect
postp
- above; over; on
adv
- (Xiamen and Zhangzhou Hokkien) initially; at first
noun
- (literary or Xiamen and Zhangzhou Hokkien) front
noun
- (dated) combing of a bride's hair in a bun for marriage
- (historical) binding of one's hair to signify coming of age (women get a hairpin at the age of fifteen and men get a hat at the age of twenty)
- (Quanzhou Hokkien) a kind of coming-of-age ceremony for the bride and groom the day before their marriage
verb
- (literary or Hokkien, of a woman) to get married
verb
- (of alcohol or drugs) to go to one's head; to be heady
- (neologism, slang) to be excited, addicted or not thinking clearly (as a consequence of watching a drama or novel)
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack