嘴 zuǐ — mouth
zuǐ (third tone, dipping)zui3
mouth
HSK 3· HSK 1–4 (classic)Level 3· Three-band, nine-level standardnounMeasure word 张
Meanings
mouth
The mouth as a part of the body. The older word 口 no longer stands alone for it, surviving instead inside compounds — 门口 a doorway, 人口 population, 出口 an exit — and as a classifier, 一口.
noun
Example sentences
- 吃饭的时候别说话，嘴里有东西。吃飯的時候別說話，嘴裡有東西。Chīfàn (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) shíhou (second tone, rising) bié (second tone, rising) shuōhuà, (first tone, high and level) zuǐ (third tone, dipping) lǐ (third tone, dipping) yǒu (third tone, dipping) dōngxi. (first tone, high and level)···
Don’t talk while eating — your mouth is full.
- 孩子的嘴很小，眼睛很大。Háizi (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) zuǐ (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) xiǎo, (third tone, dipping) yǎnjing (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) dà. (fourth tone, falling)···
The child has a small mouth and big eyes.
Common mistakes
Not quite他的口很大。
Correct他的嘴很大。
口 has become a bound morpheme: it builds words but no longer names the mouth on its own. For the body part, always 嘴.