嘴巴

• Pinyin: zuǐ ba
• Hanzi breakdown: 嘴 = 口 (mouth) + 觜 (beak/snout, phonetic), the mouth; 巴 = pictograph of a serpent, used as a colloquial body-part suffix

Meaning

Mouth. The colloquial term for the mouth, used in everyday speech.

The informal and most common spoken word for 'mouth'. 嘴 alone is also widely used. 嘴巴 is more expressive and colloquial. Used figuratively in expressions like 嘴巴甜 (sweet-talking), 管好自己的嘴巴 (watch what you say), and 嘴巴快 (talks too much/too fast). The more formal anatomical term is 口.

Examples

1. 小孩子吃东西的时候要把嘴巴闭上，不要发出声音。 Children should keep their mouths closed while eating and not make noise.
2. 他嘴巴很甜，见到长辈总是说好听的话。 He has a sweet way with words and always says nice things to elders.
3. 医生让他张开嘴巴检查一下喉咙的情况。 The doctor asked him to open his mouth to check the condition of his throat.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, body, family

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 吃饭的时候别张着嘴巴说话。(Don't talk with your mouth open while eating.)
• 你的嘴巴真甜，总是说让人开心的话。(You have such a sweet way of talking — you always say things that make people happy.)

Don't Say

• 在正式或医学文件中用'嘴巴'替代'口' (In formal or medical writing, use 口 rather than 嘴巴)

Origin & History

Compound of 嘴 (mouth, beak) and 巴 (a suffix indicating a body part or location). 嘴 itself depicts a mouth shape and is the primary character. 巴 reinforces the colloquial, familiar register.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal