摸不著頭腦

See also: 摸不着头脑

Chinese

		feel with the hand; to touch; to stroke feel with the hand; to touch; to stroke; to grope; to feel (one's pulse); imitate; copy	not; no	particle indicating the successful result of a verb; to touch; to come in contact with particle indicating the successful result of a verb; to touch; to come in contact with; to feel; to be affected by; to catch fire; to fall asleep; to burn; particle attached after verb to indicate action in progress, like ‑ing ending; to make known; to show; to prove; to write; book; outstanding; to wear (clothes); to contact; to use; to apply; catch; receive; suffer	head and brain; head; mind head and brain; head; mind; brains; head
trad. (摸不著頭腦/摸不着頭腦)		摸	不	著/着	頭腦
simp. (摸不着头脑)		摸	不	着	头脑
Literally: “cannot touch one's head”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mō bù zháo tóunǎo

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄛ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄠˊ ㄊㄡˊ ㄋㄠˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mo² bat¹ zoek⁶ tau⁴ nou⁵

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mō bù zháo tóunǎo
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄛ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄠˊ ㄊㄡˊ ㄋㄠˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mo bù jháo tóunǎo
    • Wade–Giles: mo¹ pu⁴ chao² tʻou²-nao³
    • Yale: mwō bù jáu tóu-nǎu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mho bu jaur tournao
    • Palladius: мо бу чжао тоунао (mo bu čžao tounao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mu̯ɔ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯³⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ nɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: mo² bat¹ zoek⁶ tau⁴ nou⁵
    • Yale: mó bāt jeuhk tàuh nóuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mo² bat⁷ dzoek⁹ tau⁴ nou⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: mo² bed¹ zêg⁶ teo⁴ nou⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɔː³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sœːk̚² tʰɐu̯²¹ nou̯¹³/

Idiom

摸不著頭腦

1. to be unable make head or tail of something

Derived terms

• 丈二和尚摸不著頭腦／丈二和尚摸不着头脑 (zhàng èr héshàng mō bù zháo tóunǎo)
• 丈八金剛摸不著頭腦／丈八金刚摸不着头脑 (zhàng bā jīngāng mō bù zháo tóunǎo)