口
音

About

The word 口音 (kǒuyīn) is formed by the direct, literal combination of two meaningful characters: 口 (kǒu), meaning "mouth", and 音 (yīn), meaning "sound". Together, they create a compound where the first component specifies the source or organ (the mouth) and the second specifies the abstract product (sound). This semantically paints a picture of "the sound from the mouth", which naturally extends to mean the particular quality or accent of that sound, hence, "accent".

Example Sentences Hide

他的口音很特别。

Tā de kǒuyīn hěn tèbié.

His accent is very special.

我听不出他的口音。

Wǒ tīng bu chū tā de kǒuyīn.

I can't tell where his accent is from.

她的口音带有南方味道。

Tā de kǒuyīn dài yǒu nánfāng wèidao.

Her accent has a southern flavor.

虽然他有外国口音，但中文说得流利。

Suīrán tā yǒu wàiguó kǒuyīn, dàn zhōngwén shuō de liúlì.

Although he has a foreign accent, he speaks Chinese fluently.

经过多年的练习，他的地方口音几乎完全消失了。

Jīngguò duō nián de liànxí, tā de dìfāng kǒuyīn jīhū wánquán xiāoshī le.

After years of practice, his local accent has almost completely disappeared.

Word Definition - 口音

kǒu yin (linguistics) oral speech sounds; voice; accent

Individual Character Details

口 kǒu
音 yīn