Translation guide
The English word "head" has many meanings. This guide covers the most useful ones for learners, from body part to leader, top, and mind.
The physical head of a person or animal.
The most common word for head. Used for humans and animals.
Formal or medical term for the head region.
I injured my head.
Referring to mental ability, thinking, or memory.
The person who leads a group, organization, or department.
Suffix meaning 'head' or 'chief'. Attach to organization names.
Loanword for 'leader', often used for team or project leads.
Can mean 'head' of a group, but somewhat old-fashioned or used in yakuza contexts.
The top part of something, or the front/start of a line or list.
The side of a coin with a person's head, as opposed to tails.
Means 'front' or 'face' of a coin. 'Heads or tails' is 表か裏か.
Flip a coin; if it's heads, I win.
To move in a certain direction.
The English idiom 'to lose one's head' (panic) is not 頭を失う. Use 慌てる (あわてる) or パニックになる. For 'to bite someone's head off' (yell angrily), use 怒鳴る (どなる) or 激怒する (げきどする).
He lost his head (panicked).
頭 (あたま) is the everyday word for head and mind. 脳 (のう) is the biological brain, used in science or when emphasizing the organ. For 'use your head' (think), 頭を使え is natural, not 脳を使え.
I hit my head on the shelf.
She's the head of the department.
Let's put our heads together and solve this.
Natural Japanese uses 知恵 (wisdom) rather than literal 'heads'.
A good idea came to mind.
brain function
チームのリーダーを任された。
I was put in charge as the team leader.
彼は一家の頭だ。
He is the head of the family (gang).
Please write your name at the top of the page.
スピーチの冒頭で感謝を述べた。
At the beginning of the speech, he expressed his gratitude.
The ship headed north.