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口音 (kǒu yīn) — accent (regional pronunciation); voice (quality of speech)

Definition

口音 refers specifically to a regional accent — the way a person pronounces words that reveals where they are from. Unlike 发音 (correct pronunciation) or 方言 (a full regional dialect), it is just the sound of someone's speech.

noun
accent (regional pronunciation)voice (quality of speech)

Examples

  • 口音。
    Tā de běi fāng kǒu yīn hěn nóng.
    His northern accent is very strong.
  • 口音。
    Tā de kǒu yīn hěn hǎo tīng.
    Her voice sounds very pleasant.
  • 口音。
    Cóng nǐ de kǒu yīn wǒ néng tīng chū nǐ shì nán fāng rén.
    From your accent I can tell you're from the south.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

口kǒumouth
音yīnsound

口 (mouth) and 音 (sound) form the sound of one's mouth, an accent.

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 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

音 adds a short stroke that seals the mouth-like part, showing a covered or muffled sound rather than speech.

Open 音 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Language5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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