口音

• Pinyin: kǒu yīn
• Hanzi breakdown: 口 = mouth; 音 = 立 (stand) + 日 (sun) — sound

Meaning

Accent; regional pronunciation. The way someone pronounces words, often revealing their regional origin.

Describes the distinctive pronunciation patterns associated with different regions or languages. China has diverse regional accents, and 口音 is often discussed in contexts of dialect diversity, language learning, and identity.

Examples

1. 一听他的口音就知道他是四川人。 You can tell he's from Sichuan just by hearing his accent.
2. 学外语最难的就是改掉母语口音。 The hardest part of learning a foreign language is getting rid of your native accent.
3. 她的普通话很标准，几乎没有口音。 Her Mandarin is very standard — she has almost no accent.

Usage Guide

Context: language, regional identity, learning

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 他有很重的南方口音。(He has a strong southern accent.)
• 你的口音听起来像北京人。(Your accent sounds like you're from Beijing.)

Don't Say

• 嘲笑别人的口音。(Mocking someone's accent is considered rude and discriminatory)

Origin & History

Compound of 口 (mouth) + 音 (sound). Literally 'mouth sound' — the characteristic sound of one's speech.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal