Definition
张口 is a separable verb (离合词) made of 张 (to open) and 口 (mouth). It literally means 'to open one's mouth', but is most commonly used figuratively to mean 'to ask for help, a loan, or a favor' — in other words, to speak up in a requesting situation. Because it's a separable verb, you can insert negation, complements, or measure words between the two syllables, e.g. 张不开口 ('can't open one's mouth / can't bring oneself to ask').
v.o.
(lit.) to open one's mouth(fig.) to ask for helpa loanor a favorto speak up when requesting something
Examples
- 。Tā téng de zhāng bù kāi kǒu.He was in so much pain he couldn't open his mouth.
- 张口，。Nǐ yǒu kùnnan jiù zhāng kǒu, wǒ huì bāngmáng de.If you have trouble, just ask — I'll help.
- 张口，。Bié bùhǎoyìsi zhāng kǒu jiè qián, dàjiā dōu shì péngyou.Don't be shy about asking to borrow money — we're all friends.
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