Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 嘴巴 | zuǐbā | /t͡su̯eɪ̯²¹⁴ b̥ä⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Mainland China, standard, Taiwan, Sinological IPA) /t͡su̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pä⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Taiwan, standard, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 嘴 | zuǐ | /t͡su̯eɪ̯²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡su̯əɻ²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Erhua, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 喙 | chhuì | /t͡sʰui⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Changtai, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Dehua, General Taiwanese, Yongchun, Longyan) /t͡sʰui²¹³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Changtai, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, Dehua, General Taiwanese, Yongchun, Longyan, Longyan) |
Hokkien |
| 口 | kháu | /kʰau⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) /kʰau⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
In Chinese, the term used for the opening of a creature through which food is ingested depends on whether you are being specific about anatomy or speaking more abstractly. 嘴巴 and 嘴 refer to the physical mouth of a person or animal. In contrast, 口 is more abstract and can refer to any opening, such as a doorway, a hole or a passage. The character 口 is also frequently used in idiomatic expressions related to eating or survival, such as the idiom 糊口, which literally means 'to smear the mouth' but idiomatically means 'to make a living'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 嘴巴 is a compound where 嘴 means 'mouth' and 巴 is a frequent noun suffix used to form common body part names.
Which one should you use?
While 嘴 refers specifically to the anatomical mouth of a person or animal, 口 is more abstract and can be used to describe an opening or entrance. In formal or medical contexts, particularly when referring to the internal structure of the mouth or the oral cavity, you should use 口腔.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Dungan, you can use зуй or ку. In Hokkien, the word for mouth can be expressed as 喙 or 口.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is zuǐbā.
Did you know?
- Chinese uses the term 口 as a classifier for people when counting the number of family members in a household.
- The word for mouth in Chinese shares a common ancestor with the word ku·sik in Garo and the word for mouth in the extinct Tangut language.
- In Chinese culture, the expression 闭嘴 meaning 'shut your mouth' is considered very rude and aggressive compared to simply asking for silence.
Examples in context
- 闭上你的嘴。Shut your mouth.This sentence shows how to use the form 嘴 for a command.Tatoeba #1691765 by sadhen, translation #240561 by CK
- 她过去的生活仅够糊口。She used to live hand to mouth.This sentence demonstrates the idiomatic use of the form 口 to mean making a living.Tatoeba #8616288 by maxine, translation #356787 by Hautis
- 玛丽往嘴里塞了点东西。Mary put something in her mouth.This sentence illustrates the use of the form 嘴 in a physical context.Tatoeba #8750765 by cxpadonis, translation #7379543 by CF
- 醫生建議我每天刷牙保持口腔健康。The doctor advised me to brush my teeth daily to maintain oral health.
- 我今天咬到自己的嘴了，好痛啊！I accidentally bit my own mouth today, it hurts so much!
- 老王，你最近嘴挺甜的嘛，感覺有喜事？Hey, Wang, you've been very sweet-mouthed lately. Do you have good news?
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jiayi and Haoran are eating together at a restaurant.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你的嘴巴弄脏了。Nǐ de zuǐba nòng zāng le.Your mouth is dirty.
- 浩然 Haoran真的吗？在哪里？Zhēn de ma? Zài nǎlǐ?Really? Where?
- 佳怡 Jiayi在嘴巴的右边。Zài zuǐba de yòubiān.On the right side of your mouth.
- 浩然 Haoran谢谢你告诉我。Xièxiè nǐ gàosù wǒ.Thank you for telling me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mouth” translations and entries 嘴巴, 嘴, 喙, 口, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 口, 喙, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
