HSK 1
口
kǒu
(measure word)
Structure
Number + 口 + 人 (person/family member)
How it works
The character '口' (kǒu) acts as a specific measure word (classifier) used for the number of members in a family. While '个' (gè) is the general measure word for people, '口' is the standard choice when counting family size or people who live under one roof.
Examples
你家有几口人？
Nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ kǒu rén?
How many people are there in your family?
我家有三口人。
Wǒ jiā yǒu sān kǒu rén.
There are three people in my family.
李老师家有六口人。
Lǐ lǎoshī jiā yǒu liù kǒu rén.
There are six people in Teacher Li's family.
Common mistakes
Using '口' (kǒu) to count people in general settings, such as '三个口学生'. Use '口' strictly for family members.
Tip
Think of '口' meaning 'mouth' – you are counting the number of mouths to feed in a household!
More HSK 1 grammar
See 口 in real Chinese
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