Writing
口 (kǒu) — how to say "mouth" in Chinese
口
Mouth; measure word for family members
noun · noun measure word
How to use it
noun measure word
Goes between a number (or 这/那) and the noun; a number can't attach to a noun without it.
他家有五口人。
tā jiā yǒu wǔ kǒu rén
There are five people in his family.
verbal measure word
Counts actions, not things, and goes after the verb together with the number.
我吃了一口饭。
wǒ chī le yī kǒu fàn
I took a bite of rice.
Radicals / Keys
口
Mouth
#30 · kǒu · 3 strokes
Synonyms
Collocations
五口人
wǔ kǒu rén
five people (family)
一口人
yī kǒu rén
one person (family member)
开口
kāi kǒu
open one's mouth
Examples
这菜太辣了，辣得我张大了口吸气。
This dish is too spicy, it made me open my mouth and breathe.
他喝了一大口水。
He took a big gulp of water.
Mnemonic
[kǒu-] Cody the cat loves to sing, but today he's discovered something strange in his 口 "mouth" 🎶. Every time he opens his 口 wide to sing, a silly tune about fish comes out instead. Now Cody's known as the cat with the magical 口 "mouth"!
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "mouth" in Chinese?
"mouth" in Chinese is 口 (kǒu).
What does 口 mean in English?
口 (kǒu) means "Mouth; measure word for family members".
How is 口 pronounced?
It is pronounced kǒu (written as kou). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "mouth" in Chinese characters?
It is written 口 and has 3 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 口?
口 belongs to the HSK 3 vocabulary list.
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