Chinese word

口气

Pronunciation

Pinyinkǒu qì

Meaning

  • nountone

Example

我不喜欢你的口气。wǒ bù xǐ huān nǐ de kǒu qì

I don't like your tone.

Illustration for 口气 (tone)

More examples

他用强硬的口气提出了要求。tā yòng qiáng yìng de kǒu qì tí chū le yāo qiú

He made a demand in a forceful tone.

Core concept

The feeling or stance revealed through a speaker's sound and choice of words.

Common phrases

  • 礼貌的口气lǐ mào de kǒu qì

    polite tone

  • 强硬的口气qiáng yìng de kǒu qì

    forceful tone

  • 温和的口气wēn hé de kǒu qì

    mild tone

Similar words

语气yǔ qì: The manner of speaking that shows a speaker's tone or attitude.
语调yǔ diào: The changing pitch and rhythm that give spoken words their intonation.
口吻kóu wěn: The style of expression suggested by a speaker's words and phrasing.

Definition in Chinese

说话时表现出的语气或态度，包括音量、语速、词语选择等，能反映说话人的情感和立场。shuō huà shí biǎo xiàn chū de yǔ qì huò tài dù bāo kuò yīn liàng yǔ sù cí yǔ xuǎn zé děng néng fǎn yìng shuō huà rén de qíng gǎn hé lì chǎng

Word origin

口气 (kǒuqì, "tone") is built from 口 (kǒu, "mouth") and 气 (qì, "breath or force"), linking speech with the energy that gives it a particular manner.

Usage tips

  • A request can be grammatically polite yet suggest impatience through clipped wording, a fast pace, or a hard voice, making this word useful for discussing how speech affects an exchange.

Other meanings

  • attitudenoun

Related words

  • 口气儿kǒu qìrmanner of speakingnoun

Word lists with this word