口头
Traditional: 口頭
kǒu tóu HSK 6

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

他们只有口头协议。
Tāmen zhǐ yǒu kǒutóu xiéyì.
They only have a verbal agreement.
口头报告比书面报告简单。
Kǒutóu bàogào bǐ shūmiàn bàogào jiǎndān.
Oral reports are simpler than written reports.
口头承诺不一定可靠。
Kǒutóu chéngnuò bù yīdìng kěkào.
Verbal promises are not necessarily reliable.
这是口头承诺。
Zhè shì kǒutóu chéngnuò.
This is an oral promise.
他有口头报告。
Tā yǒu kǒutóu bàogào.
He has an oral report.

💡 Memory Tip

Break down the characters: 口 (kǒu) means 'mouth,' and 头 (tóu) can imply 'aspect' or 'type.' Think of 'mouth aspect' to remember it relates to spoken communication.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in tone and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, in spoken and written Chinese. It is commonly used in legal, business, educational, and everyday situations to refer to agreements, expressions, or instructions that are not documented.

📖 Grammar Points

口头 typically functions as an attributive adjective, placed before a noun (e.g., 口头承诺 - verbal promise). It can also be used in adverbial phrases like 口头通知 (to notify verbally).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, oral agreements (口头协议) are common in informal settings but may be viewed as less binding than written contracts, though they can still hold legal weight under certain conditions, as noted in the example.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 口语 (kǒuyǔ, which refers to spoken language as a linguistic form), 口头 focuses on the medium (spoken) rather than the language itself. Unlike 口头的, 书面 (shūmiàn) means 'written' and is its direct antonym.

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