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首脳 (しゅのう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N2 Freq. Frequency Top 10,000 Meanings 1
noun
head ; leader ; top
Refers to the top person or leadership of an organization, government, or summit meeting. Common in compounds like 首脳会談 (summit meeting).
業ぎょう
の
首しゅ
脳のう
陣じん
が
新しん
戦せん
略りゃく
を
発はっ
表ぴょう
し
た
。
The company's top management announced a new strategy.
2
noun
important part ; core
archaic
Only when written 主脳
Archaic use referring to the essential or central part of something. Rare in modern Japanese; the spelling 主脳 is specifically associated with this sense.
Written forms 首しゅ 脳のう Usage 100%
Standard kanji spelling for the modern 'leader/head' sense.
主しゅ 脳のう
Archaic spelling used for the 'important part' sense.
Kanji 首 neck, counter for songs and poems Similar words リーダー A more general loanword for 'leader', while 首脳 specifically implies a top-level, often political or organizational, head.
頭あたま Literally 'head' (body part) or 'top' in a physical sense; 首脳 is metaphorical and used only for leadership roles.
Etymology Compound of 首 (head, chief) and 脳 (brain, core), suggesting the 'head brain' or central figure of an organization. The archaic spelling 主脳 uses 主 (master, main) to emphasize the 'important part' nuance.
