How to Write 嘴 (zuǐ) — Meaning “mouth”

Think of the right part 觜 as "this (此) horn (角)" — imagine a creature with a horn on its mouth. Combine that image with the left 口: a mouth that has a horn-shaped beak, which helps you recall both the sound and shape of 嘴.

First write the left 口 (3 strokes), then the right side: start with the top part 此 (6 strokes), then add the bottom 角 (7 strokes). A common mistake is making the right side too wide or uneven — keep the 口 narrow and the whole character balanced.

Both have the 口 radical, but 嘴 means "mouth" while 嗽 (sòu) means "cough" (as in 咳嗽). Visually, 嘴 has 觜 on the right (with 此 and 角), whereas 嗽 has 欶 on the right (with 束 and 欠). Their meanings and right-side components are clearly different.

嘴 appears in common words like 嘴巴 (mouth), 闭嘴 (shut up), and 张嘴 (open one's mouth). Note that 闭嘴 is a blunt command, so use it carefully; 嘴巴 is neutral. Culturally, the phrase 嘴甜 means "sweet-tongued" and compliments someone who speaks nicely.

Common words containing 嘴 include: 嘴巴 (zuǐ bā) — mouth; 闭嘴 (bì zuǐ) — Shut up / Be quiet; 张嘴 (zhāng zuǐ) — To open one's mouth..