Meaning
脑 refers to the brain as an organ, or more broadly to the mind and mental faculties. It's commonly used in compounds related to thinking, intelligence, and the head region. The character itself contains the flesh radical (月), indicating it's a body part.
Usage
脑 is rarely used alone in modern Mandarin. It almost always appears in compounds like 脑子 (brain/mind), 头脑 (brains/mind), 大脑 (cerebrum), or 电脑 (computer). When describing someone's intelligence or mental state, Chinese speakers typically use 脑子 rather than just 脑.
Examples
- 01他的脑子很聪明，学什么都快。, .His brain is very sharp; he learns everything quickly.
- 02我得好好动动脑筋想个办法。.I need to really use my brain to think of a solution.
Measure words
- 个一个脑子
Common collocations
- 动脑筋to use one's brain, to think
- 脑海mind, the recesses of one's mind
- 洗脑to brainwash
- 绞尽脑汁to rack one's brains
Origin
The traditional form 腦 contains the flesh/meat radical 月 on the left, indicating a body part, and 囟 (fontanel) on the right, representing the soft spot on a baby's head where the skull hasn't fully closed—a direct reference to what's inside the head.