叩頭

See also: 叩头

Chinese

		knock	head; (noun suffix)
trad. (叩頭)		叩	頭
simp. (叩头)		叩	头
alternative forms		扣頭／扣头

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): kòutóu

(Zhuyin): ㄎㄡˋ ㄊㄡˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): kau³ tau⁴
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): khieu-thèu
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): khàu-thâu

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: kòutóu
  - Zhuyin: ㄎㄡˋ ㄊㄡˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: kòutóu
  - Wade–Giles: kʻou⁴-tʻou²
  - Yale: kòu-tóu
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kowtour
  - Palladius: коутоу (koutou)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰoʊ̯⁵¹ tʰoʊ̯³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: kau³ tau⁴
  - Yale: kau tàuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: kau³ tau⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: keo³ teo⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɐu̯³³ tʰɐu̯²¹/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khieu-thèu
  - Hakka Romanization System: kieu teu^ˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: kieu⁴ teu²
  - Sinological IPA: /kʰi̯eu̯⁵⁵ tʰeu̯¹¹/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khàu-thâu
  - Tâi-lô: khàu-thâu
  - Phofsit Daibuun: qao'taau
  - IPA (Xiamen): /kʰau²¹⁻⁵³ tʰau²⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰau⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ tʰau²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /kʰau²¹⁻⁵³ tʰau¹³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /kʰau¹¹⁻⁵³ tʰau²⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰau²¹⁻⁴¹ tʰau²³/

Verb

叩頭

to kowtow; to kneel and bow low enough to touch one's forehead to the ground
- 皆叩頭，叩頭且破，額血流地，色如死灰。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  皆叩头，叩头且破，额血流地，色如死灰。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: 1^st century BCE, 褚少孫,《西門豹治鄴》
  Jiē kòutóu, kòutóu qiě pò, é xuè liú dì, sè rú sǐhuī. [Pinyin]
  They all kowtowed, and kowtowed till they hurt [their heads]; the blood from their foreheads flowed on the ground, their looks ashen.
(figurative) to act in a very submissive manner

Synonyms

(to kowtow): 磕頭／磕头 (kētóu), 叩拜 (kòubài)

Derived terms

叩頭蟲 / 叩头虫 (kòutóuchóng)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (叩頭):

→ Japanese: 叩頭(こうとう) (kōtō)
→ Korean: 고두(叩頭) (godu)
→ Vietnamese: khấu đầu (叩頭)

Others:

→ English: kowtow
→ German: Kotau

Japanese

Kanji in this term
叩	頭
こう Hyōgai	とう Grade: 2
kan'on

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) こーとー [kòótóó] (Heiban – [0])^[1]^[2]
IPA^(key): [ko̞ːto̞ː]

Noun

叩(こう)頭(とう) • (kōtō) ^{←こうとう (koutou)^?}

a kowtow, a deep bow so low that one's head touches the ground in Chinese culture
Synonym: 叩首 (kōshu)

Hypernyms

礼(れい) (rei)
お辞(じ)儀(ぎ) (ojigi)

Coordinate terms

会(え)釈(しゃく) (eshaku): a slight bow
目(もく)礼(れい) (mokurei): a nod to a person
黙(もく)礼(れい) (mokurei): a silent bow
最(さい)敬(けい)礼(れい) (saikeirei): a respectful bow, a low bow

Verb

叩(こう)頭(とう)する • (kōtō suru) ^{←こうとう (koutou)^?}intransitive suru (stem 叩(こう)頭(とう)し (kōtō shi), past 叩(こう)頭(とう)した (kōtō shita))

kowtow, make a very deep bow such that one's head touches the ground in Chinese culture
Synonym: 叩首する (kōshu suru)

Conjugation

Conjugation of "叩頭する" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	叩頭し	こうとうし	kōtō shi
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	叩頭し	こうとうし	kōtō shi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	叩頭する	こうとうする	kōtō suru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	叩頭する	こうとうする	kōtō suru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	叩頭すれ	こうとうすれ	kōtō sure
Meireikei ("imperative")	叩頭せよ¹ 叩頭しろ²	こうとうせよ¹ こうとうしろ²	kōtō seyo¹ kōtō shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	叩頭される	こうとうされる	kōtō sareru
Causative	叩頭させる叩頭さす	こうとうさせるこうとうさす	kōtō saseru kōtō sasu
Potential	叩頭できる	こうとうできる	kōtō dekiru
Volitional	叩頭しよう	こうとうしよう	kōtō shiyō
Negative	叩頭しない	こうとうしない	kōtō shinai
Negative continuative	叩頭せず	こうとうせず	kōtō sezu
Formal	叩頭します	こうとうします	kōtō shimasu
Perfective	叩頭した	こうとうした	kōtō shita
Conjunctive	叩頭して	こうとうして	kōtō shite
Hypothetical conditional	叩頭すれば	こうとうすれば	kōtō sureba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative

References

^ Yamada, Tadao et al., editors (2011), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Seventh edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term
叩	頭

Noun

叩頭 • (godu) (hangeul 고두)

hanja form^? of 고두 (“kowtow”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
叩	頭

Verb

叩頭

chữ Hán form of khấu đầu (“to kowtow”)