About
Composed of the mouth radical 口 and the phonetic element 亥, the character 咳 historically referred to a range of sounds emanating from the mouth, such as coughing, laughing, or the gurgling of babies, with its etymology firmly tied to oral utterances through the semantic hint of the mouth component. While 亥 primarily provides phonetic guidance, the character's early applications in classical literature included various vocalizations, but its meaning gradually narrowed over centuries to specifically denote the act of coughing, solidifying this specialized sense in later medical and common usage.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他经常咳嗽。
医生让我止咳。
咳嗽时要戴口罩。
这孩子咳得很厉害。
因为感冒，他不停地咳嗽。
如果咳得严重，就要去看医生。
这种药可以有效止咳。
他咳了一声，然后开始说话。