门口
门door口opening=doorway or entrance
口
口 (kǒu) Chinese Character: mouth
A square hole — that's a mouth, plain and simple!
Practice 口 in the interactive lessonChinese character story: Open Mouth
What's the simplest way to draw a mouth? Just draw an opening. That's what the ancient Chinese did with 口 (kǒu). One look and you know what it is — a hole, an opening, a mouth. It started as a rounded shape, like real lips, and over time became a clean square for easier writing. But the meaning never changed. 口 is everywhere in Chinese characters because mouths do so much — we eat, speak, shout, sing, and breathe through them. When you see 口 inside a character, think "mouth" or "opening," and you'll often guess the meaning right.
🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes
Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.
人口
人people口people counted=population
人口 is a fixed counting word.
Chinese character origin and etymology
口 is documented as a basic character form. Its earlier written forms gradually became the regular-script shape used today.
In modern simplified Chinese, 口 is written with 3 strokes. This lesson separates documented shape history from the memory story so learners do not mistake a mnemonic for a historical claim. 口 works as one complete form rather than a puzzle made from smaller modern components. Learning its overall silhouette is useful because the same shape may later appear inside more complex characters.
Chinese character stroke order and structure
口 is written with 3 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.
- 口 — mouth — a simple drawing of an opening
Common usage and sentence patterns
The examples below show 口 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.
请开口说话。
Please speak.
他口渴了。
He is thirsty.
这家餐厅口碑很好。
This restaurant has a good reputation.
Learning tips for 口
Learn the reading as one unit: kǒu, with the third tone: falling then rising. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “mouth,” and write the 3 strokes from memory.
Because 口 is a basic form, focus on its proportions and stroke direction. Compare it with 吃 (chī, eat — mouth (口) + begging); 喝 (hē, drink — mouth (口) + thirsty); 唱 (chàng, sing — two mouths making music). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.
Quick review checklist
- Can you recognize 口 without pinyin?
- Can you say kǒu with the correct tone and explain “mouth”?
- Can you write all 3 strokes in order?
- Can you use 口 in one short sentence?
Related characters
Continue learning Chinese characters
Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.
Sources and editorial note
HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.
Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.