<p>I think you got the idea of 鐘 means clock and 頭 means beginning. It means the beginning of a 60 min cycle in the clock. So it turns to mean hours.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-23T14:36:18.067Z
2017-08-23T14:36:18.067Z
Wae
<p>I think it means nothing here, I mean the character'头'.
There are many Chinese words that end with '头'，which has nothing to do with the real meaning of the words. e.p.'想头'，'甜头'，‘念头’，‘年头’
If you really can't get used to this word, change it to '小时' instead. It's a more formal way to say 'hour'.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-26T15:22:43.237Z
2017-08-26T15:22:43.237Z
Ran
<p>I know that 鐘 means clock so am I right in saying that 鐘頭 means head of clock which becomes hour?</p>

<p>If it's the head of the clock, is it referring to the minute hand being at the '12' (I.e the top of the clock?)</p>

<p>If so that would be very intuitive and makes me appreciate the Chinese language further!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-23T10:11:07.027Z
cf.Yip Po-Ching, The C. Lexicon （abbr.）: suffix 头 whole or  part reminisc. "head", confined concrete nouns. No way of telling why some abstract nouns also have 头 just as 子。Transf. meanings "head" i.e. "end,target", etc. subconsc. at wk. 小马词典 lists 586 compounds, below from CL:
concrete：锄头，木头，芋头，舌头，骨头，浪头，砖头，馒头，指头，浪头 abstract: 年头，钟头（colloq.),苦头，奔头儿，念头，噱头，甜头，想头（colloq.),看头（colloq.)
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-24T00:40:36.903Z
鐘頭 means no fractions.  3 个鐘頭 means exactly 3 hours.
Daniel Yang
<meaning><usage><etymology><time>
How does 鐘頭 come to mean hour?
# How does 鐘頭 come to mean hour?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-08-23)

I know that 鐘 means clock so am I right in saying that 鐘頭 means head of clock which becomes hour?

If it's the head of the clock, is it referring to the minute hand being at the '12' (I.e the top of the clock?)

If so that would be very intuitive and makes me appreciate the Chinese language further!

**Tags:** meaning, usage, etymology, time

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: cf.Yip Po-Ching, The C. Lexicon （abbr.）: suffix 头 whole or  part reminisc. "head", confined concrete nouns. No way of telling why some abstract nouns also have 头 just as 子。Transf. meanings "head" i.e. "end,target", etc. subconsc. at wk. 小马词典 lists 586 compounds, below from CL: concrete：锄头，木头，芋头，舌头，骨头，浪头，砖头，馒头，指头，浪头 abstract: 年头，钟头（colloq.),苦头，奔头儿，念头，噱头，甜头，想头（colloq.),看头（colloq.)  
> **username_2**: 鐘頭 means no fractions.  3 个鐘頭 means exactly 3 hours.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2017-08-23. Score: 1

I think you got the idea of 鐘 means clock and 頭 means beginning. It means the beginning of a 60 min cycle in the clock. So it turns to mean hours.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-08-26. Score: 0

I think it means nothing here, I mean the character'头'.
There are many Chinese words that end with '头'，which has nothing to do with the real meaning of the words. e.p.'想头'，'甜头'，‘念头’，‘年头’
If you really can't get used to this word, change it to '小时' instead. It's a more formal way to say 'hour'.


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