Refers to the area around the mouth, including the lips, often in contexts of expression, eating, or appearance.
彼女は口元を手で隠して笑った。
She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.
She covered her mouth as she laughed.
You have some food around your mouth.
shape of the mouth
Describes the form or contour of the mouth, often when discussing facial features or expressions.
彼の口元はいつも優しい感じがする。
The shape of his mouth always gives a gentle impression.
near an entrance; vicinity of an entrance
Used for the area just inside or outside an entrance, such as a doorway or gate. Often appears in set phrases like 口元まで来る.
口元まで来たが、中に入る勇気がなかった。
I came up to the entrance, but didn't have the courage to go inside.
その話を聞いて彼の口元がほころんだ。
His mouth broke into a smile when he heard the story.
The ship had come up to the mouth of the harbor.
口 is the general word for the mouth itself, while 口元 specifically points to the area around the mouth and its expression.
唇 names the lips as a body part, whereas 口元 covers the lips plus the surrounding area and the overall look or movement of the mouth.
顎 is the specific anatomical jaw or chin, while 口元 more loosely describes the area around the mouth including lips and chin.
目元 refers to the area around the eyes, while 口元 refers to the area around the mouth—easy to mix up because both describe facial 'areas.'
Standard kanji spelling.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, common in everyday writing.
Rare kanji variant using 許; not commonly used.
Compound of 口 (kuchi, 'mouth') and 元 (moto, 'origin, base, vicinity'). The 'entrance' sense is a figurative extension of 'mouth' as an opening.