頭あたま

also: かしら

あ

た

ま

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 500

Meanings

noun

head (body part)

The physical head of a person or animal.

転ころんで頭あたまを打うった。
I fell and hit my head.

noun

hair (on one's head)

Refers to the hair growing on the head, often in contexts like washing, cutting, or styling.

毎まい朝あさ、頭あたまを洗あらってから出でかける。
Every morning I wash my hair before going out.

noun

mind; brains; intellect

Only with reading あたま

Used for mental capacity, thinking, or intelligence. Common in phrases like 頭がいい (smart) and 頭を使う (use one's head). Restricted to reading あたま.

彼かれは本ほん当とうに頭あたまがいい。
He is really smart.
もっと頭あたまを使つかって考かんがえなさい。
Use your head and think more.

noun

leader; chief; boss; captain

The person at the top of a group or organization. Can be read あたま or かしら; かしら often sounds more traditional or gang-like.

彼かれがこのチームの頭かしらだ。
He is the leader of this team.
やくざの頭かしらをかしらと呼よぶ。
The boss of the yakuza is called かしら.

noun

top; tip; head (of something)

The uppermost or frontmost part of an object, like the head of a nail or the top of a list.

釘くぎの頭あたまを金かなづちで打うつ。
Hit the head of the nail with a hammer.
彼かれの名な前まえはリストの頭あたまにあった。
His name was at the top of the list.

noun

beginning; start

The initial part of something, such as the beginning of a month or a story.

話はなしの頭あたまから聞きいていなかった。
I wasn't listening from the beginning of the story.

noun

head count; person

Only with reading あたま

Used in counting people, as in 頭数 (number of persons). Restricted to reading あたま.

Usage patterns· 7

頭あたまを使つかうto use one's head; to think
難むずかしい問もん題だいを解とくには頭あたまを使つかわなければならない。
You have to use your head to solve a difficult problem.
頭あたまを洗あらうto wash one's hair
シャンプーで頭あたまを洗あらった。
I washed my hair with shampoo.
頭あたまを抱かかえるto be at one's wit's end; to hold one's head in one's hands over a problem
借しゃっ金きんの額がくを知しって頭あたまを抱かかえた。
I was at a loss when I found out the amount of the debt.
頭あたまを悩なやませるto rack one's brains over something
新あたらしいアイデアを考かんがえるのに頭あたまを悩なやませている。
I'm racking my brains trying to come up with a new idea.
頭あたまに立たつto stand at the head of; to lead
彼かれはデモの頭あたまに立たって行進おこうしんした。
He marched at the head of the demonstration.

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〈時とき〉の頭あたまthe beginning of 〈time period〉
来らい月げつの頭あたまに旅りょ行こうに行いく予よ定ていです。
I'm planning to travel at the start of next month.
頭あたまを丸まるめるto shave one's head; to become a monk
彼かれは決けつ意いを示しめすために頭あたまを丸まるめた。
He shaved his head to show his determination.

Expressions· 70

頭あたまがいいbright; intelligent; clever; smart
頭あたまが固かたいthickheaded; stubborn; inflexible
頭あたまが痛いたいhave a headache · worrying; troubling; racking one's brains
頭あたまにくるget angry; lose one's temper · go to one's head (alcohol); feel the effects (of illness)
頭あたまが下さがるadmire greatly; take one's hat off to

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頭あたまが切きれるsharp; keen; clever; on the ball
頭あたまを下さげるbow; bow one's head · apologize; bow in apology · bow to; yield to; admire
頭あたまを冷ひやすcool down one's anger; calm down

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Kanji

頭head, counter for large animals

Related words· 12

脳のうN1sense 3
頭 is the everyday word for one's mind or brainpower, while 脳 is the more scientific, anatomical term for the brain itself.
リーダーN3sense 4
頭 (often read かしら) is an old-fashioned or gang-style word for a leader, while リーダー is the modern, neutral loanword used in most contexts today.
先せん端たんN2sense 5
頭 casually refers to the top or tip of something, while 先端 is the more formal, technical word for the leading edge or tip of an object.
始はじめN5sense 6
頭 specifically marks the very beginning of a set period like a month, while 始め is the general word for the start of anything.

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首しゅ領りょう
頭（かしら）is a colloquial term for a boss used in traditional or informal groups like craftsmen or gangs, while 首領 is a more formal word for the top leader of an organization.
脳のう裏り
頭 is the general word for the head or mind, while 脳裏 specifically evokes the inner mental space where images, memories, or thoughts surface.
ヘッド
頭 is the everyday native word for a physical head, while ヘッド is a loanword mainly used for leadership roles or the top/functional part of a machine.
かぶり
頭 read あたま is the everyday modern word for 'head', while かぶり is a dated reading of the same kanji found mainly in old texts or fixed phrases.
頭とう部ぶ
頭 (あたま) is the common everyday word for 'head', while 頭部 (とうぶ) is the more formal, anatomical term used in medical or technical contexts.
総そう長ちょう
頭 is a general, informal word for a boss or leader used in yakuza or gang settings, whereas 総長 specifically denotes the top leader of a biker gang.
親おや分ぶん
頭 is the classic term for the head of a group of craftsmen or firefighters, similar in feel to 親分 but with less of the crime-boss connotation.
組くみ長ちょう
頭 is an older, more colloquial title for a boss or chief (often of craftsmen or gangs), while 組長 is the formal title for the head of a 組.

Opposites

胴どうN1
頭 is the head, the body part that 胴 (the trunk) specifically excludes.

Don't confuse with· 7

顔かおN5sense 1
頭 refers to the whole head, including the hair, while 顔 refers only to the face, so learners sometimes mix up which part of the body is meant.
首しゅ脳のうN2
頭 literally means 'head' as a body part or the physical top of something, whereas 首脳 is used only metaphorically for a top leadership position.
念ねん頭とうN1
頭 shares the kanji 頭 with 念頭 but simply means the physical head or mind in general, not the specific idiom of 'keeping something in mind'.

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頭とう皮ひ
頭 means the whole head as a body part, whereas 頭皮 refers only to the skin covering it.
首くびN5
首 can mean 'head' only in set contexts like decapitation (首を切る), while 頭 is the general word for the head itself, including the face and brain.
頭ず上じょう
頭 is the body part 'head' itself, while 頭上 refers to the space directly above that head, not the head itself.
かしら
頭 (かしら) is a noun meaning 'head' or 'boss/leader', unrelated in meaning to the sentence-final particle かしら despite sharing the same reading.

Word family· 46

頭あたま数かず
number of people; head count
地じ頭あたま
wigless head; natural hair · intelligence; smarts; comprehension
頭あたま打うちN1
reaching a peak; plateauing; hitting a ceiling
頭あたま金きん
down payment; deposit
石いし頭あたまN1
obstinate person; stubbornness; pigheadedness · hard head (like a rock)

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頭あたまでっかち
top-heavy · big-headed; conceited · overly theoretical; impractical
頭あたまごなし
unsparingly; without listening; without giving a chance to explain
はげ頭あたま
bald head · baldness
大おお頭あたま
large head; person with a large head
奴やっこ頭あたま
Edo-period hairstyle worn by samurai's attendants
頭あたま株かぶ
chief; leader; head; executive
頭あたま紐ひも
head harness; head strap
アタマジラミ
head louse; head lice
鳥とり頭あたま
birdbrain; scatterbrain; forgetful person
坊ぼう主ず頭あたま
close-cropped hair; shaven head
才さい槌づち頭あたま
hammer-shaped head; head like a hammer
白髪しらが頭あたま
gray-haired head; silver-haired head
絶ぜっ壁ぺき頭あたま
flat head; flat back of the head
金かな槌づち頭あたま
hard-headed; stubborn

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Written forms

頭Usage98%
- あたま
  Standard kanji spelling for most senses; reading あたま is the default.
- かしら
  Used for the leader/chief sense and the kanji component sense; reading かしら is common in these meanings.
あたまUsage1%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing, especially for the physical head and mind senses.
アタマUsage1%
かしらUsage<1%
カシラUsage<1%

Etymology

Native Japanese word with ancient roots. The kanji 頭 is a semantic borrowing from Chinese, representing the head. The two main readings, あたま and かしら, are both native Japanese (kun'yomi) and have coexisted since Old Japanese, with かしら often carrying a nuance of 'top' or 'leader'.