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字源zìyuánEtymology & Structure
字源洞见 zìyuán dòngjiàn · Etymological Insight
口 kǒu is one of the simplest and most ancient pictographs in Chinese — a rectangle representing an open mouth. The oracle-bone form is nearly identical to the modern character: a simple square or rectangle standing alone. Three strokes, 3,000 years of use. Its simplicity made it one of the most widely deployed radicals in the script.
口 carries two primary semantic tracks. First: the mouth as the organ of speech, eating, and taste — characters with 口 radical are overwhelmingly associated with oral actions. Second: any opening, aperture, or entrance — 出口 chūkǒu (exit — lit. "go-out mouth"), 入口 rùkǒu (entrance — lit. "enter mouth"), 窗口 chuāngkǒu (window — lit. "window mouth"), 港口 gǎngkǒu (harbor — lit. "harbor mouth").
As a measure word, 口 counts people in a household (一口人 yī kǒu rén — one person in a family) and bites of food (吃一口 chī yī kǒu — take a bite). 人口 rénkǒu (population — lit. "people-mouths") — the mouth as the unit of human presence, the thing that needs to be fed.
出口 / 入口chūkǒu / rùkǒuexit / entrance — the mouth you leave through or enter
N 名词 míngcí
出 chū (to go out) + 口 kǒu (mouth/opening) = exit. 入 rù (to enter) + 口 kǒu = entrance. The "mouth" as any aperture a person passes through — doors, tunnels, harbors, valleys. Also economic: 出口 = exports (goods going out the country's "mouth"), 进口 jìnkǒu = imports (goods coming in). These are among the most useful 口 compounds — found on every building and transit system.
地铁出口在哪儿？
Dìtiě chūkǒu zài nǎr?
Where is the subway exit?
人口rénkǒupopulation — lit. "people-mouths"
N 名词 míngcí
人 rén (person) + 口 kǒu (mouth). Population — the number of mouths to feed, the count of human presences. 中国人口约14亿 "China's population is approximately 1.4 billion." 人口众多 rénkǒu zhòngduō = "large population" (a standard description of China). 人口老龄化 = population aging — one of China's defining demographic challenges.
China is one of the most populous countries in the world.
口味kǒuwèiflavor; taste preference; palate
N 名词 míngcí
口 kǒu (mouth) + 味 wèi (flavor; taste). Both the objective flavor of food and the subjective preference of a taster. 这不合我的口味 "This doesn't suit my taste." 口味重 kǒuwèi zhòng = "strong-flavored preferences" — liking bold, heavy flavors. 各人口味不同 = "everyone has different tastes." Used metaphorically: 合你口味吗？"Is this to your taste?" (of a proposal, film, etc.)
这道菜偏辣，不知道合不合你的口味。
Zhè dào cài piān là, bù zhīdào hé bu hé nǐ de kǒuwèi.
This dish leans spicy — not sure if it suits your palate.
量词 liàngcí · 口 as Measure Word一口人 yī kǒu rén — one person in a family/household (counting mouths to feed) 一口气 yī kǒu qì — in one breath; without stopping (lit. "one mouth of breath") 吃一口 chī yī kǒu — take a bite (lit. "eat one mouth") 喝一口 hē yī kǒu — take a sip (lit. "drink one mouth") 一家三口 yī jiā sān kǒu — a family of three (lit. "one family, three mouths")
成语chéngyǔIdioms & Set Phrases
口是心非kǒu shì xīn fēithe mouth says yes but the heart says no — saying one thing while thinking anotherLit: mouth-yes-heart-no. The classic expression for hypocrisy or false agreement — when outward words and inner feelings are opposites. Used for people who agree to your face while disagreeing inside, or who say what they think you want to hear rather than what they actually believe. A serious character criticism.
异口同声yì kǒu tóng shēngdifferent mouths, same voice — unanimous agreementLit: different-mouth-same-voice. When many people speak as one — unanimous agreement or chorus of the same opinion. 大家异口同声地说"好！" "Everyone unanimously said 'Good!'" Can be genuine consensus or conformist groupthink, depending on context.