金かな槌づち頭あたま

か

な

づ

ち

あ

た

ま

Meanings

noun

hard-headed; stubborn

Describes a person who is obstinate and refuses to change their mind; literally 'hammer head'. Often used in a critical or exasperated tone.

彼かれは金かな槌づち頭あたまで、人ひとの意い見けんをまったく聞きかない。
He's so hard-headed that he never listens to anyone's opinion.
あの金かな槌づち頭あたまを説せっ得とくするのは無む理りだ。
It's impossible to persuade that stubborn mule.

Kanji

金gold
槌hammer, mallet
頭head, counter for large animals

Related words

頑がん固こ
頑固 is the standard word for 'stubborn'; 金槌頭 is more vivid and colloquial, emphasizing an unyielding, hammer-like hardness.
石いし頭あたま
石頭 also means 'hard-headed' or 'stubborn', literally 'stone head'; very similar in nuance, but 金槌頭 adds the image of a metal hammer.

Built from

金かな槌づち+頭あたま

Written forms

金かな槌づち頭あたま
Standard kanji spelling; literally 'hammer head'.
金かなづち頭あたま
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; the づ is written out for clarity.

Etymology

Compound of 金槌 (かなづち, 'hammer') and 頭 (あたま, 'head'), literally 'hammer head'. The figurative meaning 'hard-headed, stubborn' comes from the idea of a head as hard as a hammer.