- 摸不着头脑 mōbuzháotóunǎo to be at a lossTo be unable to make any sense of a matter or understand what is going on; to be completely baffled
- 有头脑 yǒutóunǎo thoughtfulto be thoughtful or intelligent; having a sharp mind and good thinking skills
- 冲昏头脑 chōnghūntóunǎo to go to one's headTo be muddled or unable to act rationally due to success, excitement, or strong emotion; literally "to have one's head washed into confusion".
- 没头脑 méitóunǎo scatterbrainedscatterbrained; brainless; describes someone who is simple-minded or acts without thinking things through
- 头头脑脑 tóutóunǎonǎo bigwigs(colloquial) all the heads of a unit, organization, or company; refers generally to various officials or people of high social standing
- 头脑酒 tóunǎojiǔ tounao liquortraditional meat soup or medicinal liquor with restorative properties
- 头脑风暴 tóunǎofēngbào brainstormingthe process of thinking through a problem or generating ideas; often used for a group discussion intended to produce a solution or strategy
- 木头脑袋 mùtounǎodai numbskullA person who is slow-witted, dull, or inflexible in their thinking
- 头脑简单 tóunǎojiǎndān simple-mindedDescribes a person who is simple-minded or lacks deep thought; often used to describe someone with low intelligence or straightforward thinking.
- 丈二金刚摸不着头脑 zhàng'èrjīngāngmōbuzháotóunǎo to be at a total losslit. like a twelve-foot golden warrior whose head cannot be reached; to be completely puzzled or unable to make sense of a situation
- 头脑发胀 tóunǎofāzhàng to have a heavy headTo feel dizzy, light-headed, or have a sense of pressure in the head, often due to exhaustion or illness
- 头脑清楚 tóunǎoqīngchu clearheadedclearheaded; with a lucid or alert mind; sensible
- 丈二和尚,摸不着头脑 zhàng'èrhéshangmōbuzháotóunǎo at a total lossTo be completely baffled or unable to make head or tail of a situation; literally describes being unable to touch the head of a monk who is two [[丈|丈|zhang4]] (about 6.6 meters) tall.
- 头脑简单四肢发达 tóunǎojiǎndānsìzhīfādá all brawn no brainsLiterally "simple brain, developed limbs"; used to describe someone who is physically strong but lacks intelligence.