‘跟头’ (gēn tou) is a noun meaning ‘somersault’ or ‘a forward or backward tumble’, often implying an uncontrolled or accidental fall. The character 跟 (gēn) originally relates to ‘heel’ or ‘following’, and 头 (tou) means ‘head’—together, they evoke the image of the head leading the body in a rolling motion. Though literally ‘heel-head’, the term has evolved into a fixed compound referring to any full-body rotational fall where the person flips over, especially when losing balance.

This word is commonly used in everyday speech, physical education, martial arts, circus performance, and children’s play. It carries a neutral-to-informal register and may suggest clumsiness, playfulness, or athletic skill depending on context. Unlike formal terms like ‘翻滚’ (fān gǔn), ‘跟头’ feels vivid and colloquial—and it’s almost always used with measure words like ‘一个’ (yí gè) or verbs like ‘摔’ (shuāi, ‘to fall’) or ‘翻’ (fān, ‘to flip’).