嘴

• Pinyin: zuǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 嘴 = 口 (mouth radical) + 觜 (phonetic component)

Meaning

Mouth. The body part used for eating and speaking.

Used both literally for the physical mouth and figuratively in expressions about speech and eating. Common in everyday phrases like 闭嘴 (shut your mouth), 嘴甜 (sweet-talking), and 张嘴 (open your mouth).

Examples

1. 他的嘴很大。 His mouth is very big.
2. 孩子张开嘴让医生看。 The child opened their mouth for the doctor to look.
3. 吃东西的时候不要张着嘴说话。 Don't talk with your mouth open while eating.

Usage Guide

Context: body, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请张开嘴。(Please open your mouth.)
• 她的嘴很小。(Her mouth is small.)

Don't Say

• 我的嘴不好。(This is ambiguous — if you mean you're not good at speaking, say 我不太会说话. 嘴不好 could be misunderstood.)

Origin & History

Originally written as 觜, depicting a bird's beak. The modern form uses 口 (mouth) as the radical, emphasizing its meaning related to the mouth.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal