The facial cavity used for eating, speaking, and breathing. Any opening or entrance (doorway, cave mouth); measure word for family members ("mouths to feed") or bites/sips of food. A plain square box — the pictograph of an open mouth, no extra strokes needed.
口 counts a bite or sip, not a whole item. Use 个 for one whole apple.
口 counts family members in a household. For random people in a place, use 个.
No. 口 counts a sip or bite, so 第一口热茶 means the first sip of hot tea.
口 here is a counting word for what goes into your mouth. It works like 'sip' or 'bite' in English. So 第一口热茶 is the first sip of hot tea, not a body part. The same pattern appears in 喝一口水 and 吃一口饭. If you mean a whole apple, use 个: 一个苹果, not 一口苹果. “老先生坐在七号桌子前，喝了第一口热茶。” (The elderly gentleman sits in front of table number seven and takes the first sip of hot tea.) ── [《七号桌的客人》](/read/guest-at-table-seven#s24)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | 第一口热茶 = first sip of hot tea | 第一口热茶 = first mouth of hot tea |
| Portion | 喝一口水 / 吃一口饭 | 喝一个水 / 吃一个饭 for a sip or bite |
| Whole item | 一个苹果 = one whole apple | 一口苹果 = one whole apple |
| Word role | 口 = sip/bite counter | 口 = mouth body part here |
口 counts family members in a household, like 'mouths to feed'.
Here 口 counts people who live and eat together as a family. It carries the flavor of 'mouths to feed' in a household. So 我家有三口人 means my family has three people. 我家有三个人 is also fine, but it sounds more general. Use 口 when you want that family-unit feeling, not for random people in a shop.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Family count | 我家有三口人 | 我家有三个口人 |
| Random people | 商店里有三个人 | 商店里有三口人 |
| Tone | sounds like a family unit | sounds like counting mouths in a shop |
| Meaning | three mouths to feed | three literal mouths |
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
This heartwarming story reveals the quiet devotion of a father. As you read, notice the repeated actions and how a simple cup of tea becomes meaningful.
老先生坐在七号桌子前，喝了第一 口 热茶。
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