kǒu: 口 - Mouth, Opening, Measure Word

Keywords: 口, kou, Chinese for mouth, measure word for people, Chinese radicals, Chinese characters, HSK 1, learn Chinese, opening, entrance, family members, Chinese vocabulary.

Summary: Learn about the fundamental Chinese character 口 (kǒu), which means 'mouth'. This versatile HSK 1 character is not just a body part but also a crucial radical, a measure word for family members, and a term for any 'opening' or 'entrance'. Our guide breaks down its cultural significance, practical usage in daily conversation, and provides numerous example sentences to help you master 口 (kǒu) and understand its central role in the Chinese language.

Pinyin (with tone marks): kǒu

Part of Speech: Noun, Measure Word

HSK Level: HSK 1

Concise Definition: Mouth; an opening or entrance; a measure word for family members or mouthfuls.

In a Nutshell: 口 (kǒu) is one of the first characters you'll learn, and for good reason. It's a pictograph that looks just like an open mouth. Beyond its literal meaning, its meaning expands to include any kind of 'hole' or 'opening,' like the entrance to a cave, the mouth of a bottle, or a doorway. It also functions as a special counter (measure word) for the number of people in a family, which comes from the ancient concept of counting the “mouths to feed.”

口 (kǒu): This character is a pictograph, a simple drawing of an open mouth. Its modern square shape is a stylized representation perfect for writing. It also serves as a fundamental radical (部首, bùshǒu) known as the “mouth radical.” When you see 口 in other characters, it often gives a clue that the character's meaning is related to speaking, eating, breathing, or openings. For example, it's a component in characters like 吃 (chī, to eat), 喝 (hē, to drink), and 叫 (jiào, to call).

The most culturally significant use of 口 is as a measure word for family members. In English, we might ask, “How many people are in your family?” and answer, “We are a family of four.” In Chinese, a common way to ask this is “你家有几口人？” (Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?), literally “Your family has how many mouths of people?”

This seemingly small linguistic difference highlights a key cultural value. The concept of “mouths to feed” (口 or 人口) is deeply rooted in China's long agrarian history, where providing for the family was the central focus of life. Using 口 emphasizes the collective unit of the family and the shared responsibility of sustenance. This contrasts with the more individualistic Western approach of counting “heads” or “people,” which focuses on the individuals themselves rather than their role within the family unit. This reflects a pragmatic and collectivist worldview that is still subtly present in the modern language.

Literal Mouth and Body: While 嘴 (zuǐ) is the more common word for the physical mouth, 口 is used in many fixed expressions related to the mouth and body, such as `口渴 (kǒu kě)` for “thirsty” or `伤口 (shāngkǒu)` for a “wound/cut.”

嘴 (zuǐ) - The physical mouth of a person or animal. The most common “false friend” for 口.

人口 (rénkǒu) - Population. Literally “person-mouths,” directly linking to the cultural idea of counting people by their need for sustenance.

门口 (ménkǒu) - Doorway, entrance. A compound using 口 to mean opening.

路口 (lùkǒu) - Intersection, crossing. Literally “road-opening.”

出口 (chūkǒu) - Exit. Literally “go-out-opening.”

口味 (kǒuwèi) - Flavor; a person's taste (e.g., “my taste is spicy”).

口音 (kǒuyīn) - Accent.

口语 (kǒuyǔ) - Spoken language, colloquial Chinese.

个 (gè) - The general measure word for people, used to contrast with the specific family-related use of 口.

伤口 (shāngkǒu) - A wound, a cut. Literally an “injury-opening.”