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口里 (kǒu lǐ) — (literally) in the mouth; (figuratively) in one's speech, what one says

Definition

Literally 'in the mouth' (口里放着药); figuratively it points to what someone SAYS rather than what they mean or do — 'in one's words', often with a contrast to 心里 (what one thinks) or 行动 (what one does).

noun
(literally) in the mouth(figuratively) in one's speechwhat one says

Examples

  • 口里，。
    Tā bǎ yào fàng zài kǒu lǐ, què méi yàn xià qù.
    He put the medicine in his mouth but didn't swallow.
  • 口里，。
    Tā kǒu lǐ shuō dé hěn hǎo tīng, dàn xíng dòng shàng wán quán bù yí yàng.
    He says nice things, but his actions are completely different.
  • 口里。
    Tā kǒu lǐ shuō de hé xīn lǐ xiǎng de bù yí yàng.
    What she says is different from what she thinks.

Origin

Characters in this word

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 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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