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.
頭部にけがをした。
I injured my head.
Referring to mental ability, thinking, or memory.
Used for intelligence, thinking, and mental state. Often in set phrases.
彼は頭がいい。
He is smart.
いい考えが頭に浮かんだ。
A good idea came to mind.
Literally 'brain', used in more scientific or metaphorical contexts.
脳の働き
brain function
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.
コインを投げて、表が出たら私の勝ち。
Flip a coin; if it's heads, I win.
To move in a certain direction.
To head for a place. Often used with に or へ.
私たちは駅に向かっている。
We are heading to the station.
To advance or proceed in a direction.
船は北へ進んだ。
The ship headed north.
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).
彼は慌ててしまった。
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.
棚に頭をぶつけた。
I hit my head on the shelf.
彼女は部長です。
She's the head of the department.
みんなで知恵を出し合って解決しよう。
Let's put our heads together and solve this.
Natural Japanese uses 知恵 (wisdom) rather than literal 'heads'.
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.