口子

kǒuzi

noun HSK 7-9 #13,357

Meanings

1 opening; hole; tear; cut
2 breach (in a dike)

Characters

Examples

手上划了一个口子。

Shǒushàng huá le yíge kǒuzi.

I got a cut on my hand.

衣服上撕了个口子。

Yīfu shàng sī le ge kǒuzi.

There's a tear in the clothes.

堤坝上开了个口子。

Dībà shàng kāi le ge kǒuzi.

A breach opened in the dike.

Tips

usage

开口子 can be metaphorical — 'opening a breach' in a policy means making an exception. Once you 开了口子, it's hard to close again, so it implies a slippery slope.

Stroke Order

口 kǒu

子 zǐ