嗽

sòu
口 + 欶

Definitions

sòu (bound form) to cough

Etymology phono-semantic

mouth

Semantic: 口 Phonetic: 欶

About

The character 嗽 is a phono-semantic compound. Its left side, the mouth radical 口, indicates an action of the mouth or throat. The right component 欶 functions as the phonetic and historically carries the meaning of sucking or drawing in breath. Together they point to the involuntary act of expelling air forcefully from the lungs: coughing. Because it names a specific bodily function, 嗽 has a narrow semantic range, appearing almost exclusively in medical contexts that describe respiratory symptoms. It commonly occurs in compound words for illnesses, throat clearing, and vocal disruptions, where the combination of the mouth radical and its phonetic counterpart directly reflects the physical action.

Example Sentences Hide

我爸爸咳嗽了。

Wǒ bàba késou le.

My dad is coughing.

感冒会引起咳嗽。

Gǎnmào huì yǐnqǐ késou.

A cold can cause coughing.

咳嗽时请捂住嘴巴。

Késou shí qǐng wǔzhù zuǐba.

When coughing, please cover your mouth.

你咳嗽多久了？

Nǐ késou duōjiǔ le?

How long have you been coughing?

他因为吸烟经常咳嗽。

Tā yīnwèi xīyān jīngcháng késou.

He often coughs because of smoking.

医生建议我喝咳嗽药水。

Yīshēng jiànyì wǒ hē késou yàoshuǐ.

The doctor advised me to drink cough medicine.

如果咳嗽持续不退，你应该去看医生。

Rúguǒ késou chíxù bù tuì, nǐ yīnggāi qù kàn yīshēng.

If the cough persists, you should see a doctor.

在公共场合咳嗽时，使用口罩可以防止传播病菌。

Zài gōnggòng chǎnghé késou shí, shǐyòng kǒuzhào kěyǐ fángzhǐ chuánbō bìngjūn.

When coughing in public places, using a mask can prevent the spread of germs.

Related Characters

Component: 口

中 和 可 后 如 同 只 知 高 问 向 或 加 合

Component: 欶

漱 簌 蔌 嫰 樕

Example Words

咳嗽