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mouth

kǒu
3 strokes · 口 (mouth radical) · HSK 1

Where 口 comes from

口 is a pictograph of an open mouth — a simple square opening. You've already met it hiding inside 吃 (eat) and 喝 (drink): both have 口 on the left, because eating and drinking happen at the MOUTH. Now you know why.

口 in Chinese culture

口 is one of the most productive radicals in Chinese — any character about speaking, eating, or openings tends to contain it (吃, 喝, 叫, 唱). It also counts people: 人口 means 'population' (literally 'person-mouths'), a reminder that for most of history, a mouth to feed was how you counted a family.

Example

人口 rénkǒu — population

中国人口很多。
Zhōngguó rénkǒu hěn duō.
China's population is very large.

How to remember it

A simple open square — an open MOUTH.

See 口 inside a character? It often signals the mouth's work: 吃 (eat), 喝 (drink), 叫 (shout), 唱 (sing), 名 (name — calling out in the dark).

Same sound, different tones

1st kōu
to dig out
3rd kǒu
mouth
4th kòu
to button

Words unlocked by 口

人口 rénkǒu
population
一口 yì kǒu
a mouthful / a bite
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