对口 (duì kǒu) — (of qualifications, skills, or profession) to match; to be suitable for one's training or specialty; (of flavors) to suit one's taste; to go well together; (of two performers) to speak or sing alternately in a coordinated way; duet-style

Definition

An adjective-like verb (used after 很 or in 对得上口) meaning 'matched / suited': to a job that fits your training, or to flavors that pair well, or to two performers whose cues line up.

verb
(of qualifications, skills, or profession) to matchto be suitable for one's training or specialty(of flavors) to suit one's tasteto go well together(of two performers) to speak or sing alternately in a coordinated wayduet-style
Easily confused

Examples

  • 对口。
    Wǒ de zhuān yè hé zhè ge zhí wèi hěn duì kǒu.
    My major matches this position very well.
  • 对口，。
    Zhè ge cài de wèi dào hěn duì kǒu, wǒ tè bié xǐ huan.
    The flavor of this dish is just right — I really like it.
  • ，。
    Tā men liǎ shuō xiàng sheng, duì dé shàng kǒu.
    The two of them perform crosstalk together — their cues match perfectly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

对duìmatch
口kǒumouth

对 means match and 口 means mouth, so the sense is matching one's mouth, taste, or specialty.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 對; 对 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 對, the shape comes from an early drawing of 丵 (a digging tool), 土 (earth), and 又 (a hand); it may have meant developing land.

Open 对 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 口 looks like an open mouth.

Open 口 →

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