How to write 脑 (nǎo, “brain”)
脑 (nǎo), an HSK 1 character, means “brain”, “mind” and “head”. The traditional form is 腦, 13 strokes instead of 10. Among the HSK words it appears in 电脑 (“computer”), 大脑 (“brain”) and 脑子 (“brains”). Japanese keeps the traditional 腦, read nou (“brain”).
- Pinyin
- nǎo
- Strokes
- 10
- HSK
- 1
- Radical
- ⺼ (“flesh”)
- Traditional
- 腦
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
As a left-right character it splits into ⺼ (“flesh”, the radical), strokes 1–4; 亠凶, strokes 5–10, written the left part first.
- top leftdownwards
- top leftdownwards
- leftrightwards
- leftrightwards
- topdown and right
- toprightwards
- rightdown and left
- centerdown and right
- centerdownwards → rightwards
- rightdownwards
Traditional form
- Simplified
- 脑 · 10 strokes
- Traditional
- 腦 · 13 strokes · see its strokes
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| nǎo third tone | brain; mind; head; essence | 腦 | 电脑 大脑 脑子 头脑 |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 1
- 2021 standard
- level 1
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 1 word
- Words with it
- 160 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 脑
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 电脑 電腦 | diànnǎo | computer HSK 1 |
| 大脑 大腦 | dànǎo | brain; cerebrum HSK 5 |
| 脑子 腦子 | nǎozi | brains; mind HSK 6 |
| 头脑 頭腦 | tóunǎo | brains; mind HSK 6 |
| 脑袋 腦袋 | nǎodai | head; skull HSK 6 |
| 脑海 腦海 | nǎohǎi | the mind; the brain HSK 7-9 |
| 首脑 首腦 | shǒunǎo | head; summit (meeting) HSK 7-9 |
| 伤脑筋 傷腦筋 | shāngnǎojīn | to be a real headache; to find sth a real headache HSK 7-9 |
| 后脑 後腦 | hòunǎo | hindbrain; back of the head |
| 小脑 小腦 | xiǎonǎo | cerebellum (part of the brain) |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
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HSK 1, in list order: