Japanese symbol for “speaking”
口
くち
Romaji: kuchi
mouth
In Japanese, speaking is 口, read くち (kuchi).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n mouth
- n opening; hole; gap; orifice
- n mouth (of a bottle); spout; nozzle; mouthpiece
- n gate; door; entrance; exit
- n speaking; speech; talk (i.e. gossip)
- n taste; palate
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “speaking”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 言葉 | ことば kotoba | speech; (manner of) speaking; (use of) language |
| 発声 | はっせい hassei | utterance; speaking; vocalization |
| セイ | セイ sei | saying; speaking |
| スピーキング | スピーキング supiikingu | speaking (generally related to learning English) |
| スピーク | スピーク supiiku | speak; speaking |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 人口 | じんこう jinkou | population |
| 悪口 | わるぐち waruguchi | (verbal) abuse; speaking ill of people; bad-mouthing |
| 窓口 | まどぐち madoguchi | counter; window; teller window |
| 出口 | でぐち deguchi | exit; way out |
| 入り口 | いりぐち iriguchi | entrance; entry; gate |
| 口座 | こうざ kouza | account (e.g. bank) |
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.