mouth 30초 만에
- A primary body part used for nutrition, communication, and emotional expression through facial movements.
- A geographical term describing where a river meets a larger body of water or a cave begins.
- An opening for containers like bottles, jars, or bags, facilitating the entry and exit of contents.
- A versatile word used in many idioms related to secrets, wealth, and reputation in English.
The word mouth is one of the most fundamental nouns in the English language, primarily referring to the anatomical opening on the face. However, its meaning extends far beyond biology. At its simplest level, the mouth is the gateway for nutrition and the primary instrument for human communication. It is where we process food through mastication and where we shape air into phonemes to create speech. In a broader sense, the 'mouth' can refer to any opening that resembles a human mouth, such as the entrance to a cave, the opening of a jar, or the point where a river meets the sea.
- Anatomical Definition
- The oral cavity including the lips, teeth, tongue, and palate.
- Geographical Definition
- The place where a river enters the ocean or another body of water.
- Functional Definition
- The primary organ for vocalization and the start of the digestive system.
"She covered her mouth to hide her surprise when she saw the gift."
In literature and daily speech, the mouth often symbolizes the voice or the act of speaking. When we say someone has a 'big mouth,' we aren't talking about physical size, but rather their tendency to talk too much or reveal secrets. This metaphorical expansion is crucial for learners to understand as they move from A1 to higher levels. The mouth is also intrinsically linked to emotions; we smile with our mouths, frown, or gape in awe. It is a highly expressive part of the human anatomy that conveys non-verbal cues just as effectively as the eyes.
"The mouth of the cave was dark and intimidating, hidden by thick vines."
From a biological perspective, the mouth is a complex structure. It contains the taste buds on the tongue, which allow us to perceive flavors, and the salivary glands, which begin the chemical breakdown of food. In many cultures, the mouth is considered a sacred or sensitive area, leading to various social norms regarding eating, speaking, and covering the mouth. Understanding the 'mouth' involves recognizing its role in survival (eating), social interaction (talking), and environmental description (river mouths).
"The Mississippi River mouth is a vast delta system in the Gulf of Mexico."
"He put the thermometer in his mouth to check his temperature."
"The bottle has a wide mouth, making it easy to fill with ice cubes."
Using the word 'mouth' correctly requires understanding its context—whether you are talking about anatomy, geography, or idiomatic expressions. As a noun, it is countable. You can have one mouth or many mouths to feed. When used in a physical sense, it often takes possessive adjectives: 'my mouth', 'his mouth', 'the dog's mouth'. It is frequently paired with verbs like 'open', 'close', 'shut', 'cover', and 'fill'. For example, 'Open your mouth wide' is a common instruction from a dentist.
- Physical Action
- Verbs like 'wipe', 'rinse', or 'stuff' are commonly used with mouth.
- Geographical Usage
- Usually 'the mouth of [river/cave/tunnel]'.
- Idiomatic Usage
- Phrases like 'word of mouth' or 'mouth-watering'.
In more advanced English, 'mouth' functions as a verb. To 'mouth' words means to move your lips without producing sound, often used when someone is trying to communicate secretly or when a singer is lip-syncing. 'She mouthed the words "I love you" from across the crowded room.' This usage is less common but important for B2+ learners. Additionally, the word appears in many compound adjectives, most notably 'mouth-watering', which describes food that looks or smells delicious enough to make you salivate.
When describing the size or shape of a mouth, we use adjectives like 'wide', 'small', 'generous', or 'thin-lipped'. In technical or medical contexts, you might hear 'oral cavity' instead of mouth. In geography, 'mouth' is almost always followed by 'of'. 'The mouth of the Amazon' is where the river's fresh water meets the Atlantic. This specific construction is a fixed pattern. If you are talking about the entrance to a container, 'mouth' and 'opening' are often interchangeable, but 'mouth' suggests a circular or face-like opening.
You will hear 'mouth' in a variety of everyday settings. In a medical setting, a doctor or dentist will frequently use it: 'Please open your mouth and say Ah.' In a family setting, parents often talk to children about their mouths: 'Don't talk with your mouth full!' or 'Did you wash your mouth?' These are fundamental A1-level interactions. In social settings, you might hear it in the context of gossip or news: 'I heard it by word of mouth,' meaning the information was passed from person to person through speaking rather than writing.
- At the Dentist
- 'Rinse your mouth out with this solution.'
- In the Kitchen
- 'This cake is so good, it just melts in your mouth.'
- In Nature Documentaries
- 'The crocodile has the strongest bite of any animal's mouth.'
In professional environments, the word might appear in discussions about marketing. 'Word-of-mouth marketing' is considered one of the most effective forms of advertising because it relies on personal recommendations. You might also hear it in news reports describing geographical locations: 'The ship was spotted near the mouth of the harbor.' In literature, authors use 'mouth' to create vivid imagery, describing the 'gaping mouth' of a dark alleyway or a 'tight-lipped mouth' indicating anger or secrecy.
Musicians and singers often talk about 'mouth shape' or 'embouchure' (a more technical term) when discussing how to produce specific sounds. In the world of fashion and makeup, the 'mouth' is a focal point for applying lipstick or gloss. Even in technology, we sometimes refer to the 'mouth' of a shredder or a vacuum cleaner. It is a ubiquitous word that bridges the gap between the physical body and the physical world around us.
One of the most common mistakes for English learners is confusing 'mouth' with 'month'. Because the spelling is similar (only one letter difference), learners often mispronounce or misspell them. Remember: a 'mouth' is for eating, and a 'month' is for the calendar. Another common error is the pronunciation of the 'th' sound. It is a voiceless /θ/, like in 'think'. Many learners accidentally say 'mouse' /maʊs/ instead of 'mouth' /maʊθ/. This can lead to confusion, as a mouse is a small rodent!
- Mouth vs. Month
- Mouth (face) vs. Month (January, February).
- Mouth vs. Mouse
- Mouth (ends in 'th') vs. Mouse (ends in 's').
- Preposition Error
- Saying 'in the mouth of the river' is correct, but 'at the mouth' is more common for specific locations.
Another mistake involves the plural form. The plural of 'mouth' is 'mouths'. The pronunciation changes slightly; the 'th' often becomes voiced /ðz/ in the plural (like 'breathe' + 's'), though some speakers keep it voiceless. Learners also struggle with the idiom 'to bad-mouth someone'. This is a verb meaning to say bad things about someone. It is not 'to speak bad mouth'. You simply 'bad-mouth' them. Similarly, 'word of mouth' is a fixed expression; you cannot say 'words of mouths'.
Finally, be careful with the phrase 'to have a big mouth'. If you tell someone 'You have a big mouth,' they will likely be offended because you are calling them a gossip or a loudmouth. If you literally mean their mouth is physically large, it is better to say 'You have a wide smile' or be very specific to avoid the idiomatic insult. In writing, ensure you don't use 'mouth' when you mean 'entrance' for buildings; we use 'mouth' for caves and rivers, but 'doorway' or 'entrance' for houses.
While 'mouth' is the standard term, several synonyms and related words exist depending on the context. In a biological or medical context, the term oral cavity is used. This refers to the entire space inside the mouth. For animals, especially birds, we use the word beak or bill. For predatory animals like lions or wolves, the word jaws or maw is often used to emphasize the power or size of the opening. These words carry different connotations and are not always interchangeable.
- Aperture
- A formal word for any opening or hole.
- Entrance
- Used for buildings, rooms, or tunnels.
- Orifice
- A technical/medical term for an opening in the body.
In slang, there are many colorful synonyms for mouth, though they should be used with caution. Trap ('Shut your trap!'), gob (common in British English), and cake-hole are all informal and often slightly rude. When discussing the 'mouth' of a container, rim or lip might be more precise. For example, you drink from the 'rim' of a glass. If you are talking about the 'mouth' of a volcano, the correct term is crater.
When 'mouth' is used as a metaphor for a spokesperson, synonyms include mouthpiece or representative. A 'mouthpiece' often has a negative connotation, suggesting the person is just repeating what they are told without thinking for themselves. In geography, an estuary is a specific type of river mouth where the tide meets the stream. Understanding these nuances helps you choose the right word for the right situation, moving your English from basic to sophisticated.
How Formal Is It?
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난이도
알아야 할 문법
수준별 예문
I have one mouth.
J'ai une bouche.
Simple subject-verb-object.
Open your mouth.
Ouvre ta bouche.
Imperative mood.
She has a small mouth.
Elle a une petite bouche.
Adjective before noun.
The baby put the toy in his mouth.
Le bébé a mis le jouet dans sa bouche.
Preposition 'in'.
My mouth is dry.
Ma bouche est sèche.
Linking verb 'is'.
Close your mouth when you eat.
Ferme la bouche quand tu manges.
Conjunction 'when'.
He has a big mouth.
Il a une grande bouche.
Descriptive adjective.
Wash your mouth.
Lave ta bouche.
Possessive adjective 'your'.
Don't talk with your mouth full.
Ne parle pas la bouche pleine.
Negative imperative.
The dog carried the ball in its mouth.
Le chien portait la balle dans sa bouche.
Possessive 'its' for animals.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin.
Il s'est essuyé la bouche avec une serviette.
Past simple tense.
The bottle's mouth is too narrow.
Le goulot de la bouteille est trop étroit.
Possessive 's' for objects.
She has a beautiful mouth.
Elle a une belle bouche.
Adjective 'beautiful'.
The dentist looked inside my mouth.
Le dentiste a regardé à l'intérieur de ma bouche.
Prepositional phrase 'inside my'.
He took a mouthful of water.
Il a pris une gorgée d'eau.
Noun 'mouthful'.
The cat has a fish in its mouth.
Le chat a un poisson dans sa bouche.
Subject-verb-object.
We reached the mouth of the river at noon.
Nous avons atteint l'embouchure de la rivière à midi.
Geographical usage.
The news spread by word of mouth.
La nouvelle s'est répandue par le bouche-à-oreille.
Idiomatic expression.
He kept his mouth shut about the surprise.
Il a gardé le silence sur la surprise.
Idiom 'keep one's mouth shut'.
The mouth of the cave was hidden by trees.
L'entrée de la grotte était cachée par des arbres.
Passive voice 'was hidden'.
Stop bad-mouthing your boss.
Arrête de dire du mal de ton patron.
Verb 'bad-mouth'.
The smell of fresh bread made my mouth water.
L'odeur du pain frais m'a mis l'eau à la bouche.
Idiom 'make one's mouth water'.
She mouthed 'thank you' to him.
Elle lui a dit 'merci' du bout des lèvres.
Verb 'mouth' (silent speech).
He has a big mouth and can't keep a secret.
Il a une grande langue et ne peut pas garder un secret.
Idiom 'have a big mouth'.
The politician acted as a mouth for the government.
Le politicien a servi de porte-parole au gouvernement.
Metaphorical usage.
He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Il est né avec une cuillère d'argent dans la bouche.
Idiom for inherited wealth.
The incident left a bitter taste in my mouth.
L'incident m'a laissé un goût amer.
Metaphorical idiom.
The cave's mouth gaped open like a giant's yawn.
L'entrée de la grotte s'ouvrait comme le bâillement d'un géant.
Simile and personification.
He's just a loudmouth who never does anything.
C'est juste un vantard qui ne fait jamais rien.
Compound noun 'loudmouth'.
The river mouth is a critical habitat for birds.
L'embouchure de la rivière est un habitat critique pour les oiseaux.
Scientific/Environmental context.
She was down in the mouth after failing the test.
Elle était déprimée après avoir échoué à l'examen.
Idiom 'down in the mouth' (sad).
The jar has a wide mouth for easy cleaning.
Le bocal a une large ouverture pour un nettoyage facile.
Functional description.
The company relies heavily on word-of-mouth marketing.
L'entreprise s'appuie fortement sur le marketing du bouche-à-oreille.
Compound adjective.
He mouthed the lyrics along with the singer.
Il a mimé les paroles avec le chanteur.
Verb usage in performance context.
The estuary forms at the mouth of the tidal river.
L'estuaire se forme à l'embouchure de la rivière à marée.
Technical geographical term.
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
À cheval donné on ne regarde pas la denture.
Proverbial idiom.
The wine has a pleasant mouthfeel and a long finish.
Le vin a une sensation en bouche agréable et une longue finale.
Technical culinary term 'mouthfeel'.
He is a mouthpiece for a radical political group.
Il est le porte-parole d'un groupe politique radical.
Pejorative noun 'mouthpiece'.
The tunnel's mouth loomed ahead in the darkness.
L'entrée du tunnel se profilait devant dans l'obscurité.
Literary verb 'loomed'.
She took the words right out of my mouth.
Elle m'a enlevé les mots de la bouche.
Idiom for agreement.
The river mouth morphology is shaped by sediment transport.
La morphologie de l'embouchure de la rivière est façonnée par le transport des sédiments.
Academic/Scientific register.
He was accused of being a mealy-mouthed hypocrite.
Il a été accusé d'être un hypocrite mielleux.
Rare adjective 'mealy-mouthed'.
The abyss opened its maw, a mouth of infinite darkness.
L'abîme ouvrit sa gueule, une bouche d'obscurité infinie.
Poetic/Archaic synonym 'maw'.
The project was a hand-to-mouth existence for years.
Le projet a été une existence au jour le jour pendant des années.
Idiom 'hand-to-mouth' (poverty).
The orator's mouthings were dismissed as mere rhetoric.
Les propos de l'orateur ont été rejetés comme de la simple rhétorique.
Noun 'mouthings' (insincere talk).
The surgical procedure involved the floor of the mouth.
La procédure chirurgicale concernait le plancher de la bouche.
Anatomical precision.
She has a foul mouth when she gets angry.
Elle a un langage grossier quand elle se met en colère.
Idiom 'foul mouth' (cursing).
The volcano's mouth belched smoke and ash.
Le cratère du volcan crachait de la fumée et des cendres.
Metaphorical verb 'belched'.
자주 쓰는 조합
자주 쓰는 구문
Keep your mouth shut
Watch your mouth
By word of mouth
A mouthful of
In the mouth of
Mouth to feed
Big mouth
Shut your mouth
Open your mouth
Hand to mouth
자주 혼동되는 단어
관용어 및 표현
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혼동하기 쉬운
A unit of time (30 days).
A small rodent.
An insect similar to a butterfly.
The amount a mouth can hold.
A person who speaks for another.
문장 패턴
사용법
Usually preceded by a possessive adjective.
Always use 'the mouth of' for rivers.
- Saying 'month' instead of 'mouth'.
- Saying 'mouse' instead of 'mouth'.
- Using 'mouth' for a house entrance.
- Saying 'words of mouth' instead of 'word of mouth'.
- Forgetting the 's' in the plural 'mouths'.
팁
The TH Sound
Make sure to blow air between your tongue and top teeth for the 'th' in mouth.
Compound Words
Learn 'mouthwash' and 'mouthguard' as they are common household items.
Word of Mouth
Use this phrase when talking about recommendations for movies or restaurants.
River Mouth
Remember that a river has a 'source' (start) and a 'mouth' (end).
Dining
Always remember the rule: 'Don't talk with your mouth full' in English-speaking cultures.
Be Careful
Calling someone 'mouthy' is usually an insult meaning they are disrespectful.
Inside
The mouth contains the tongue, teeth, and gums.
Imagery
Use 'the mouth of the cave' to create a sense of mystery in your stories.
Oral
In medical forms, look for the word 'oral' instead of 'mouth'.
Association
Associate 'mouth' with 'mouth-watering' to remember it's about food.
암기하기
어원
Old English 'mūth'
문화적 맥락
Using 'gob' is common in the UK and Australia but might be considered low-class or aggressive in the US.
Covering the mouth when yawning or coughing is a standard polite behavior in most English-speaking countries.
실생활에서 연습하기
실제 사용 상황
대화 시작하기
"Have you ever heard of a great restaurant by word of mouth?"
"What's the most mouth-watering food you've ever eaten?"
"Is it considered rude to talk with your mouth full in your culture?"
"Do you know any famous river mouths in your country?"
"Have you ever had to keep your mouth shut about a big secret?"
일기 주제
Describe a time when you had to keep your mouth shut to protect a friend.
Write about a mouth-watering meal you had recently.
Describe the mouth of a river as if you were an explorer seeing it for the first time.
What does the idiom 'born with a silver spoon in your mouth' mean to you?
Reflect on a time when someone took the words right out of your mouth.
자주 묻는 질문
10 질문Yes, it can mean to move your lips without making sound or to speak insincerely.
The plural is 'mouths', usually pronounced with a voiced 'th' sound.
It refers to information passed orally from person to person.
No, usually 'entrance' or 'doorway' is used for buildings.
It is the amount of food or drink that you can put in your mouth at one time.
No, it is very informal and often considered rude or aggressive.
It is the part of a river where it flows into the sea or a lake.
It describes food that looks or smells so good it makes you want to eat it.
It is an idiom for someone who talks too much or tells secrets.
It is pronounced /maʊθ/ with a voiceless 'th' sound at the end.
셀프 테스트 180 질문
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
The word 'mouth' is a foundational English noun that transitions from a simple body part at A1 level to a complex geographical, mechanical, and metaphorical term at higher CEFR levels, appearing in numerous essential idioms.
- A primary body part used for nutrition, communication, and emotional expression through facial movements.
- A geographical term describing where a river meets a larger body of water or a cave begins.
- An opening for containers like bottles, jars, or bags, facilitating the entry and exit of contents.
- A versatile word used in many idioms related to secrets, wealth, and reputation in English.
The TH Sound
Make sure to blow air between your tongue and top teeth for the 'th' in mouth.
Compound Words
Learn 'mouthwash' and 'mouthguard' as they are common household items.
Word of Mouth
Use this phrase when talking about recommendations for movies or restaurants.
River Mouth
Remember that a river has a 'source' (start) and a 'mouth' (end).
예시
The dentist told me to open my mouth wide so he could see my back teeth.
관련 콘텐츠
영상에서 보기
4:30
Inception - Mombasa Chase (HDR - 4K - 5.1)
"The dentist told me to open my mouth wide so he could see my back teeth."
5:49
Is this the grossest parasite? - Niko Zlotnik
"The mouth is important."
26:53
All Avengers Movie Final Fight
"The dentist told me to open my mouth wide so he could see my back teeth."
맥락에서 배우기
관련 표현
Health 관련 단어
abortion
B2낙태는 태아가 독립적으로 생존하기 전에 임신을 중단하는 것입니다.
abortions
C1낙태(abortions)는 태아가 자궁 밖에서 생존할 수 있기 전에 임신을 중단하는 것을 의미합니다.
abrasion
B2피부가 쓸려서 생긴 얕은 상처를 말해. 물질이 마찰 때문에 닳아서 깎여 나가는 현상을 뜻하기도 해.
acuity
B2Acuity refers to the sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. It describes the ability to perceive small details clearly or to understand complex situations quickly and accurately.
acute
B2격심한, 극심한 (문제); 예리한, 예민한 (감각/지성).
addictary
C1To systematically induce a state of physiological or psychological dependence in a subject through repetitive exposure or habitual engagement. It describes the active process of making someone or something prone to a compulsive habit or substance.
addicted
B1그는 스마트폰에 중독되어 하루 종일 화면만 보고 있습니다.
addiction
B2Addiction is a chronic and complex condition characterized by the compulsive use of a substance or engagement in a behavior despite harmful consequences. It involves a lack of control over the activity and can manifest as both physical and psychological dependence.
adrenaline
B2스트레스나 놀랐을 때 몸에서 나오는 호르몬이에요. 심장이 빨리 뛰게 하고 에너지를 줘서 위험에 대처하게 만들어요.
advivcy
C1Relating to the active promotion of vitality, health, and sustained life within a professional, clinical, or structural framework. It describes a proactive and life-affirming stance in guidance or treatment intended to revitalize a system or individual.
