The word 口头禅 is formed from the characters 口 (mouth), 头 (head), and 禅 (Zen). 口头 combines to mean "oral" or "verbal", referring to speech, while 禅 originates from Buddhist practice, denoting meditation or chant. Together, they create a compound meaning "verbal chant", idiomatically referring to a habitual phrase or saying, analogous to a frequently repeated mantra.