Meaning and Usage
The word "头痛" (tóutòng) literally means "headache" and is commonly used to describe physical pain in the head. It can also be used metaphorically to express mental stress or trouble caused by a difficult problem.
Common Contexts
- Physical symptom: Describing actual pain in the head due to illness, fatigue, or other causes.
- Figurative use: Expressing frustration or difficulty with a problem or situation.
Collocations and Patterns
- 头痛得厉害 (tóutòng de lìhài): severe headache
- 头痛的时候 (tóutòng de shíhòu): when having a headache
- 让我头痛 (ràng wǒ tóutòng): causes me a headache (figurative)
Usage Notes
When used literally, 头痛 is a straightforward symptom description. When used figuratively, it often implies that something is troublesome or causes mental strain. It is common to see it combined with verbs like "让" (ràng) to indicate causing headache or trouble.
Avoid confusing 头痛 with other pain words like "头晕" (dizziness) or "头疼" which is a colloquial synonym but less formal.