胃口

• Pinyin: wèi kǒu
• Hanzi breakdown: 胃 = 田 + 肉 (stomach organ); 口 (mouth, opening)

Meaning

Appetite; desire for food. Figuratively, interest, enthusiasm, or desire for something.

Both literal (food appetite) and figurative (interest or craving for something). Common phrases: 胃口大开 (appetite greatly stimulated), 没有胃口 (no appetite or interest), 合胃口 (suits one's taste or preference), 吊胃口 (whet the appetite).

Examples

1. 看到满桌美食，他的胃口立刻大开。 Seeing a table full of delicious food, his appetite immediately came back.
2. 这部电影的预告片成功吊起了观众的胃口。 The movie trailer successfully whetted the audience’s appetite.
3. 连日加班使她对工作完全失去了胃口。 Days of overtime made her lose all appetite for work.

Usage Guide

Context: food, daily life, conversation

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这道菜的香味让我胃口大开，一连吃了两碗饭。(The aroma of this dish greatly stimulated my appetite, and I ate two bowls of rice one after another.)
• 他对这个新项目很感兴趣，胃口相当大，想要全面参与。(He is very interested in this new project — his appetite for it is quite large, and he wants to be fully involved.)

Don't Say

• 我的胃口不好，所以我不饿 — 胃口不好 specifically means poor appetite; if you simply are not hungry, say 我不饿 or 我现在不想吃东西

Origin & History

胃 (stomach) + 口 (mouth, opening) — the opening of the stomach; appetite

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal