Chinese word

口音

Pronunciation

Pinyinkǒu yīn

Meaning

  • nounaccent

Example

我喜欢她的口音，听起来很亲切。wǒ xǐ huān tā de kǒu yīn tīng qǐ lái hěn qīn qiè

I like her accent; it sounds very friendly.

Illustration for 口音 (accent)

More examples

他的口音很明显，能听出他来自南方。tā de kǒu yīn hěn míng xiǎn néng tīng chū tā lái zì nán fāng

His accent is very noticeable, and you can tell he is from the south.

Core concept

A spoken signature that lets listeners hear a connection to a place, community, or personal speaking habit.

Common phrases

  • 带着口音dài zhe kǒu yīn

    with an accent

  • 听出口音tīng chū kǒu yīn

    hear an accent

  • 识别口音shí bié kǒu yīn

    identify an accent

Similar words

发音fā yīn: The way speech sounds when a word or syllable is spoken.
方言fāng yán: A regional or group form of speech with its own vocabulary and expressions.
腔调qiāng diào: A characteristic style of speaking marked by its tone and rhythm.

Definition in Chinese

说话时发音的特殊方式或音色，能反映说话人的地域、社会背景或个人习惯。shuō huà shí fā yīn de tè shū fāng shì huò yīn sè néng fǎn yìng shuō huà rén de dì yù shè huì bèi jǐng huò gè rén xí guàn

Word origin

The compound 口 (kǒu, "mouth") + 音 (yīn, "sound") presents a person's distinctive speech as the sound produced by the mouth.

Usage tips

  • A remark about someone's way of speaking can also touch on perceived background, so a friendly observation may need respectful context rather than sounding like a judgment.

Other meanings

  • pronunciationnoun

Opposites

  • 标准发音biāo zhǔn fā yīnstandard pronunciationnoun

Word lists with this word