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伤脑筋

shāng nǎo jīndictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
to be a real headache / to find sth a real headache / to beat one's brains
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-1422023dd800016a. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

傷腦筋 伤脑筋 [shang1 nao3 jin1] /to be a real headache/to find sth a real headache/to beat one's brains/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 傷腦筋

  • 伤
    shāng

    to injure / injury / wound

  • 脑
    nǎo

    brain / mind / head / essence

  • 筋
    jīn

    muscle / tendon / veins visible under the skin / sth resembling tendons or veins (e.g. fiber in a vegetable)

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.