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首shǒu

Character evolution

首

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Simplified · Today

Shuowen

首 (shǒu) is the image of a human head as depicted in oracle bone script, with a top stroke representing hair and the lower part representing the face; it thus means “head,” and by extension “first,” “leader,” or “chief.” The character is written with a horizontal line on top to symbolize the hair, and the components below to symbolize the facial features, capturing the shape of the head. All characters with this radical derive from this original meaning of the head.

Pinyin

shǒu· HSK 2