頭緒

See also: 头绪

Chinese

		head; (noun suffix)	beginnings; clues; mental state beginnings; clues; mental state; thread
trad. (頭緒)		頭	緒
simp. (头绪)		头	绪

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tóuxù

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄡˊ ㄒㄩˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): tau⁴ seoi⁵
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): thâu-sū / thâu-sǐr / thâu-sī

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: tóuxù
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄡˊ ㄒㄩˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tóusyù
    • Wade–Giles: tʻou²-hsü⁴
    • Yale: tóu-syù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tourshiuh
    • Palladius: тоусюй (tousjuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰoʊ̯³⁵ ɕy⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: tau⁴ seoi⁵
    • Yale: tàuh séuih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tau⁴ soey⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: teo⁴ sêu⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰɐu̯²¹ sɵy̯¹³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thâu-sū
    • Tâi-lô: thâu-sū
    • Phofsit Daibuun: tausu
    • IPA (Taipei): /tʰau²⁴⁻¹¹ su³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tʰau²⁴⁻²² su²²/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tʰau²³⁻³³ su³³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thâu-sǐr
    • Tâi-lô: thâu-sǐr
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tʰau²⁴⁻²² sɯ²²/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thâu-sī
    • Tâi-lô: thâu-sī
    • Phofsit Daibuun: tausi
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tʰau¹³⁻²² si²²/

Noun

頭緒

1. clue; inkling

   這個問題我也一直在想，但現在還沒理出一個頭緒來。 [MSC, trad.]
   这个问题我也一直在想，但现在还没理出一个头绪来。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè ge wèntí wǒ yě yīzhí zài xiǎng, dàn xiànzài hái méi lǐ chū yī ge tóuxù lái. [Pinyin]

   I've been thinking about this problem too, but I haven't figured it out yet.

2. order; sequence
3. (literary, figurative) state of mind; thoughts

   • 心如繅絲綸，輾轉多頭緒。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     心如缫丝纶，辗转多头绪。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Tang dynasty, 鮑溶, 《秋懷》五首之二

     Xīn rú sāo sīlún, zhǎnzhuǎn duō tóuxù. [Pinyin]

     My heart is like reeling silk from a cocoon, tossing and turning with many thoughts.

   • 荊州麥熟繭成蛾，繰絲憶君頭緒多。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     荆州麦熟茧成蛾，缲丝忆君头绪多。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Tang dynasty, 李白, 《荊州歌》

     Jīngzhōu mài shú jiǎn chéng é, sāosī yì jūn tóuxù duō. [Pinyin]

     In Jingzhou, when the wheat is ripe, when the silkworm cocoons become moths, I was spinning silk and thinking of you, and my thoughts were many.

   • 身如病鶴翅翎短，心似亂絲頭緒多。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     身如病鹤翅翎短，心似乱丝头绪多。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Song dynasty, 黃庭堅, 《次韻王稚川客舍》二首之二

     Shēn rú bìng hè chìlíng duǎn, xīn sì luàn sī tóuxù duō. [Pinyin]

     My body is as an ill crane with short wings; my heart is like jumbled silk, full of thoughts.

Synonyms

• (clue):

• 徵候兒／征候儿 (zhēnghour) (Beijing Mandarin)
• 意思
• 景象 (jǐngxiàng) (literary)
• 眉目 (méimu)
• 端倪 (duānní)
• 線索／线索 (xiànsuǒ)
• 苗 (miáo) (literary, or in compounds)
• 跡象／迹象 (jìxiàng)
• 頭路／头路 (tóulù) (colloquial)

 

• (order):

• 工序 (gōngxù) (work procedure)
• 序次 (xùcì)
• 條理／条理 (tiáolǐ)
• 次序 (cìxù)
• 步數／步数 (Min Nan)
• 步驟／步骤 (bùzhòu)
• 治安 (zhì'ān) (public order)
• 秩序 (zhìxù) (usually public order)
• 程序 (chéngxù)
• 節次／节次 (jiécì)
• 編次／编次 (biāncì)
• 順序／顺序 (shùnxù)

 

Derived terms

• 有點頭緒／有点头绪
• 沒頭緒／没头绪
• 理出頭緒／理出头绪
• 茫無頭緒／茫无头绪