脑 (nǎo): brain
脑 (nǎo) is a Chinese character meaning “brain.” Classified as HSK Level 1 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of ⺼ (semantic). It ranks #646 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 脑 flesh. Its radical form 月 (moon) appears in many related characters such as 月 (yuè, moon, month), 有 (yǒu, to have), 朋 (péng, friend).
Definitions
- brain
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 脑 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 脑
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 电脑noun | diàn nǎo | computer | 1 |
| 脑子noun | nǎo zi | brains | 6 |
| 脑袋noun | nǎo dai | head | 6 |
| 大脑noun | dà nǎo | brain | 5 |
| 头脑noun | tóu nǎo | brains | 6 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 脑海 | nǎo hǎi | the mind |
| 脑震荡 | nǎo zhèn dàng | (med.) cerebral concussion |
| 脑筋 | nǎo jīn | brains |
| 脑浆 | nǎo jiāng | brains |
| 首脑 | shǒu nǎo | head (of state) |
| 脑瘤 | nǎo liú | brain tumor |
| 后脑勺 | hòu nǎo sháo | back of the head |
| 脑门 | nǎo mén | forehead |
| 脑细胞 | nǎo xì bāo | brain cell |
| 后脑 | hòu nǎo | hindbrain |
| 脑电波 | nǎo diàn bō | see 腦波|脑波[nao3 bo1] |
| 脑膜炎 | nǎo mó yán | meningitis |
| 脑电图 | nǎo diàn tú | electroencephalogram (EEG) |
| 伤脑筋 | shāng nǎo jīn | to be a real headache |
| 脑壳 | nǎo ké | (coll.) head |
脑 appears in 100 compound words: 62 as the first character, 28 as the last, and 10 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 脑 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (27)
to become dizzy (with desire, success, love, etc.); to turn one's head; to lose one's head
dizzy; fainting; addlebrained; addleheaded; muddleheaded; absentminded; forgetful
to become dizzy (with desire, success, love, etc.); to turn one's head; to lose one's head
dizzy; fainting; addlebrained; addleheaded; muddleheaded; absentminded; forgetful
Showing 12 of 27 idioms containing 脑.
Example Sentences
长时间使用电脑会导致脑部疲劳，需要适当休息。
Cháng shíjiān shǐyòng diànnǎo huì dǎozhì nǎobù píláo, xūyào shìdàng xiūxi.
Using computers for long periods causes brain fatigue; proper rest is needed.
...了酒对宝宝有没有影响?孕晚期喝酒会影响大脑发育吗
. . . le jiǔ duì bǎo bǎo yǒu méi yǒu yǐng xiǎng ? yùn wǎn qī hē jiǔ huì yǐng xiǎng dà nǎo fā yù ma
... Does alcohol affect the baby? Does drinking alcohol in the third trimester affect brain development?
探索大脑,从“头”认识你自己,从“头”理解你自己
tàn suǒ dà nǎo , cóng tóu rèn shí nǐ zì jǐ , cóng tóu lǐ jiě nǐ zì jǐ
Explore the Brain: Get to Know Yourself from the Top Down, Understand Yourself from the Top Down
欧洲首台量子电脑上线!54 量子位 Euro-Q-Exa...
ōu zhōu shǒu tái liàng zǐ diàn nǎo shàng xiàn ! 5 4 liàng zǐ wèi E u r o Q E x a . . .
Europe's first quantum computer is online! 54 qubits Euro-Q-Exa...
电脑玩家哭了?中企被寄望“便宜记忆体救世主”...
diàn nǎo wán jiā kū le ? zhōng qǐ bèi jì wàng biàn yí jì yì tǐ jiù shì zhǔ . . .
PC gamers are crying? Chinese companies are being hailed as the "affordable memory saviors"...
收假前追一波!最新烧脑神剧《莎拉的真伪人生》 结局翻转再翻转
shōu jiǎ qián zhuī yī bō ! zuì xīn shāo nǎo shén jù 莎 lā de zhēn wěi rén shēng jié jú fān zhuǎn zài fān zhuǎn
Binge-watch before the break ends! The latest mind-bending drama "Sarah's True and False Life" delivers twist after twist in its finale.
你的新电脑运行得好吗？
Nǐ de xīn diànnǎo yùnxíng de hǎo ma?
Does your new computer run well?
你知道怎么操作电脑吗？
Nǐ zhīdào zěnme cāozuò diànnǎo ma?
Do you know how to operate a computer?
这台电脑你用多少钱买的？
Zhè tái diànnǎo nǐ yòng duōshao qián mǎi de?
How much was your new computer?
你是不是有两台电脑？
Nǐ shìbùshì yǒu liǎng tái diànnǎo?
Do you have two computers?
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 脑 (nǎo) mean in Chinese?
How many strokes does 脑 have?
What is the radical of 脑?
What are the components of 脑?
What are common words containing 脑?
What characters sound the same as 脑 (nǎo)?
Is 脑 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 脑 with real-time feedback
Trace stroke sequences, hear native pronunciation, and build lasting retention with spaced repetition in the HanziFeed app.