Word
無口
Meaning in Englishreticence
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
無口 means taciturn or reticent: a person who tends not to speak much, especially in social situations, appearing calm and reserved.
Main meanings
- habitual reticence in conversation
- silence in group or public settings, sometimes read as politeness or self-restraint
- not necessarily shy; can reflect preference for listening
- may apply to moments of quiet in discussions, not just overall personality
How to use it
Used as a na-adjective to describe a person by a trait; appropriate in neutral descriptions and in both spoken and written Japanese; in formal writing it often conveys a reserved or low-verbosity persona rather than a defect, and it can describe habitual behavior or a temporary state in a discussion.
Variants and close terms
- 寡黙 kamoku — taciturn
- 口数が少ない kōsū ga sukunai — speaks little
- 静か shizuka — quiet
Composition
- 無: 'without, none'
- 口: 'mouth'
- the combination yields a sense of 'without mouth', i.e., not speaking
Etymology
無 (mu) + 口 (kuchi) combine to express the sense of 'without mouth'; the compound historically came to denote someone who speaks little, yielding the modern sense of taciturnity.
Word class
adjective (na-adjective, 形容動詞)
Related words by kanji and components
N2
裏口
uraguchi
backdoor, rear entrance
N2
火口
kakou
crater (of a volcano)
N2
口紅
kuchibeni
lipstick
N2
口実
koujitsu
excuse
N2
御無沙汰
gobusata
not writing or contacting for a while
N2
蛇口
jaguchi
faucet, tap
N2
出入口
deiriguchi
exit and entrance
N2
出入り口
deiriguchi
exit and entrance
N2
早口
hayakuchi
fast-talking