喙 (huì) - Beak, snout, mouth of an animal & also used metaphorically for human mouth or speech

喙Tone 4

huì ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

喙 · huì

Beak, snout, mouth of an animal;

also used metaphorically for human mouth or speech in a derogatory or informal sense.

Beak, snout, mouth of an animalalso used metaphorically for human mouth or speech

Usage highlights

Bird's beakLong snoutNo room for interruptionUnable to join the conversationBeak and clawBeak and feathers

Synonyms

  • 嘴— mouth (general term)
  • 口— mouth (formal term)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The bird's beak (鸟喙) is sharp.
  • He has a long snout (长喙).
  • Don't interrupt with your mouth (不容置喙).
  • The pig uses its snout to dig (猪用喙挖掘).

Collocations

  • Bird's beak(鸟喙)
  • Long snout(长喙)
  • No room for interruption(不容置喙)
  • Unable to join the conversation(无庸置喙)
  • Beak and claw(喙爪)
  • Beak and feathers(喙羽)

Idioms

  • No room for interruption(不容置喙)
  • Unable to join the conversation(无庸置喙)
  • A hundred mouths cannot explain it(百喙莫辩)
  • The mantis blocks the carriage with its arms(螳臂当车，蚍蜉撼树，皆不自量力，此之谓喙)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily used in zoological contexts to describe animal mouthparts.
  • When applied to humans, carries a negative connotation of being talkative or meddlesome.
  • Appears in classical texts and idioms, often in formal or literary contexts.

FAQ