口吃

• Pinyin: kǒu chī
• Hanzi breakdown: 口 = mouth; 吃 = 口 (mouth) + 乞 (beg) — to eat/stammer

Meaning

To stutter; to stammer. A speech disorder characterized by involuntary repetitions or prolongations of sounds.

Describes the condition of stuttering, whether temporary due to nervousness or as a chronic speech impediment. Can be used as a verb or noun. Often associated with anxiety or developmental speech issues.

Examples

1. 他小时候有点口吃，长大后通过训练克服了。 He stuttered a bit as a child but overcame it through training as he grew up.
2. 紧张的时候她说话会口吃。 She stammers when she's nervous.
3. 口吃并不影响一个人的智力和能力。 Stuttering doesn't affect a person's intelligence or abilities.

Usage Guide

Context: speech, medical, psychology

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 他有轻微的口吃。(He has a slight stutter.)
• 紧张会让口吃更严重。(Nervousness can make stuttering worse.)

Don't Say

• 用口吃嘲笑他人。(Never use 口吃 to mock someone — it's a legitimate speech condition deserving sensitivity)

Origin & History

Compound of 口 (mouth) + 吃 (to eat/stammer). 吃 here is used phonetically to represent the stammering sound.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal