Learn a Chinese Character - 口

1. Character Basics

Radical: 口 (kǒu, mouth radical)

Stroke Count: 3

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: kǒu (third tone)

3. Meaning

Mouth, opening, entrance, gateway, classifier for things with mouths or specific shapes

4. Common Words

• 口语 (kǒuyǔ) - spoken language
• 口音 (kǒuyīn) - accent
• 口才 (kǒucái) - eloquence, oratorical skill
• 口气 (kǒuqì) - tone of voice, manner of speaking
• 口袋 (kǒudài) - pocket
• 入口 (rùkǒu) - entrance
• 出口 (chūkǒu) - exit
• 港口 (gǎngkǒu) - port, harbor
• 口号 (kǒuhào) - slogan
• 借口 (jièkǒu) - excuse
• 人口 (rénkǒu) - population

5. Grammar & Usage

As a noun:

• 表示人和动物进食、发声的器官 - the organ for eating and speaking in humans and animals
• 他张开口说话 - He opened his mouth to speak
• 保持口腔清洁很重要 - It's important to keep your mouth clean

As a noun (meaning opening/entrance):

• 表示形状像口的地方或事物 - a place or thing shaped like a mouth
• 请从这个入口进入 - Please enter through this entrance
• 这条河有一个宽阔的河口 - This river has a wide estuary

As a classifier:

• 用于计量有口或有形状的事物 - used to measure things with mouths or specific shapes
• 一瓶酒 (yì píng jiǔ) - a bottle of wine
• 三口人 (sān kǒu rén) - three people

6. Cultural Background

在中国文化中，"口"字不仅表示身体部位，还与言语、交流、表达密切相关。有许多与"口"相关的成语和俗语，如"口是心非"（saying one thing but meaning another）、"口若悬河"（eloquent speech）、"病从口入"（diseases enter through the mouth）等。

"口"字是汉字中最基本的部首之一，作为部首时通常表示与嘴巴、说话或开口相关的含义。许多包含"口"部的汉字都与嘴的功能或声音有关，如"吃"、"喝"、"叫"、"唱"等。

此外，"口"在古代还用作计数单位，特别是用于计算人口。直到今天，中国人仍然使用"人口"来表示居民数量。

In Chinese culture, the character "口" not only represents a body part but is also closely related to speech, communication, and expression. There are many idioms and sayings related to "口", such as "口是心非" (saying one thing but meaning another), "口若悬河" (eloquent speech), and "病从口入" (diseases enter through the mouth).

"口" is one of the most basic radicals in Chinese characters. When used as a radical, it usually indicates meanings related to the mouth, speaking, or opening. Many characters containing the "口" radical are related to the functions of the mouth or sounds, such as "吃" (eat), "喝" (drink), "叫" (call), and "唱" (sing).

In addition, "口" was also used as a unit of counting in ancient times, especially for counting people. Even today, Chinese people still use "人口" to represent the number of residents.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

"口"字的形状很像一个张开的嘴巴，你可以想象一张方形的嘴来记住这个字。这个简单的三笔画字是汉字中最基础的字符之一，也是很多复杂汉字的组成部分。

The character "口" looks very much like an open mouth. You can imagine a square-shaped mouth to remember this character. This simple three-stroke character is one of the most basic characters in Chinese and is also a component of many complex Chinese characters.