口くちのきけない

口のきけない · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	口くちのきけない	口くちのきけなくない
Polite	口くちのきけないです	口くちのきけなくないですalso 口くちのきけなくありません
Past polite	口くちのきけなかったです	口くちのきけなくなかったですalso 口くちのきけなくありませんでした
Past	口くちのきけなかった	口くちのきけなくなかった
Te-form	口くちのきけなくて	口くちのきけなくなくて
Adverbial	口くちのきけなく
Conditional	口くちのきけなければ	口くちのきけなくなければ
Tara conditional	口くちのきけなかったら	口くちのきけなくなかったら

Meanings

expression, i-adjective

unable to speak; inarticulate

Describes a person who cannot speak, either due to a physical condition or extreme emotion. Often used in the phrase 口のきけない状態 (a state of being unable to speak).

彼かれは生うまれつき口くちのきけない人ひとだ。
He is a person who has been unable to speak since birth.
驚おどろきのあまり口くちのきけなくなった。
I was so surprised that I became unable to speak.

Kanji

口mouth
利profit, advantage, benefit
聞hear, ask, listen

Related words

口くちがきけない
Similar meaning, but uses が instead of の; 口のきけない is more adjectival and often modifies a noun directly, while 口がきけない is a clause.
無む口くち
Means 'taciturn' or 'quiet by nature', not physically unable to speak. 口のきけない implies a lack of ability, while 無口 implies a lack of inclination.

Written forms

口くちのきけない
Standard spelling using きく in kana; the most neutral written form.
口くちの利きけない
Uses 利く, which can imply effective functioning; less common but still seen.
口くちの聞きけない
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; 聞く normally means 'to hear', so this spelling is non-standard and may confuse learners.

Etymology

Phrase composed of 口 (mouth) + の (possessive particle) + きけない (negative potential form of きく 'to function/be effective'). Literally 'mouth cannot function'.