咳嗽

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咳嗽 [2025/08/04 00:35] – created xiaoer咳嗽 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1
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-====== késou: 咳嗽 - To Cough, A Cough ====== +
-===== Quick Summary ===== +
-  * **Keywords:** 咳嗽, kesou, Chinese for cough, how to say I have a cough in Chinese, coughing in Chinese, Chinese medicine for cough, dry cough in Chinese, Chinese illness, visiting a doctor in China. +
-  * **Summary:** Learn how to say "cough" in Chinese with the word **咳嗽 (késou)**. This comprehensive guide covers everything a beginner needs, from basic pronunciation and character breakdown to practical example sentences for talking to a doctor. Discover the fascinating cultural context, including how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views different types of coughs, and master the nuances to talk about being sick like a native speaker. +
-===== Core Meaning ===== +
-  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** késou +
-  * **Part of Speech:** Verb, Noun +
-  * **HSK Level:** HSK 3 +
-  * **Concise Definition:** To expel air from the lungs with a sudden sharp sound; the act or sound of coughing. +
-  * **In a Nutshell:** **咳嗽 (késou)** is the direct and universal word for "cough" in Chinese. It functions just like its English counterpart, describing both the action of coughing and the symptom itself. It's one of the most common words you'll use when you feel unwell, whether you're telling a friend you're sick or describing your symptoms at a pharmacy in China. +
-===== Character Breakdown ===== +
-  * **咳 (ké):** This character gives us the core action. The left side is the "mouth" radical **口 (kǒu)**, indicating the action is related to the mouth. The right side **亥 (hài)** acts primarily as a phonetic component, giving the character its sound. Think of it as "a sound coming from the mouth." +
-  * **嗽 (sòu):** This character reinforces the meaning. It also features the "mouth" radical **口 (kǒu)**. The right side **束 (shù)**, meaning "to bind" or "bundle," is complex, but in this context, it contributes to the overall meaning of a constricted or forceful action from the throat/mouth. +
-  * Together, **咳嗽 (késou)** forms a specific, unambiguous compound word for the medical symptom and action of coughing. +
-===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== +
-The physical act of coughing is universal, but the cultural response and understanding in China have unique aspects, largely influenced by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). +
-In Western medicine, a cough is typically categorized by its cause (viral, bacterial, allergies) or its physical nature (productive vs. non-productive). In China, while Western medicine is prevalent, the traditional framework is still a huge part of everyday life and conversation about health. +
-**TCM and The "Nature" of a Cough:** +
-A Chinese doctor (or even a friend or grandmother) might diagnose a cough based on its perceived "nature": +
-  * **热咳 (rèké) - "Hot Cough":** Characterized by a loud, barking cough, thick yellow phlegm, a sore throat, and a feeling of heat or fever. The advice is to avoid "hot" or "fiery" foods (上火, shànghuǒ) like fried chicken, spicy hot pot, and lamb. Instead, you'd be encouraged to eat "cooling" foods like pears, winter melon, or mung beans. +
-  * **寒咳 (hánkè) - "Cold Cough":** Characterized by a weaker cough, thin or clear phlegm, chills, and no thirst. The advice here is the opposite: avoid "cold" foods like watermelon, salads, and ice cream. Ginger tea would be highly recommended. +
-This "hot/cold" dichotomy is a fundamental concept in Chinese wellness that doesn't exist in the same way in the West. It's a holistic view that connects diet, environment, and physical symptoms in a way that can be fascinating for a learner to observe. +
-===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== +
-**咳嗽 (késou)** is a standard, neutral term used in all situations, from casual chats to formal medical consultations. +
-  * **Describing Your Symptoms:** This is the most common use. You'll use it at the doctor's office, at a pharmacy, or when calling in sick to work. +
-  * **Expressing Concern:** You might use it to ask about a friend or family member's health. +
-  * **On Medicine Packaging:** You will see the characters on packaging for cough syrups (咳嗽糖浆, késou tángjiāng) or lozenges. The character **止 (zhǐ)**, meaning "to stop," is often paired with it, as in **止咳 (zhǐké)**, meaning "to stop a cough." +
-===== Example Sentences ===== +
-  * **Example 1:**  +
-    * 我有点儿**咳嗽**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wǒ yǒudiǎnr **késou**. +
-    * English: I have a bit of a cough. +
-    * Analysis: This is the most common and natural way to say you have a cough. `有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr)` softens the statement, meaning it's not too severe. +
-  * **Example 2:**  +
-    * 他感冒了，**咳嗽**得很厉害。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā gǎnmào le, **késou** de hěn lìhai. +
-    * English: He has a cold and is coughing very badly. +
-    * Analysis: Here, `咳嗽` is a verb. The structure `[verb] + 得 + [adverb]` is used to describe the intensity of an action. `厉害 (lìhai)` means "severe" or "intense." +
-  * **Example 3:**  +
-    * 你的**咳嗽**好点了吗？ +
-    * Pinyin: Nǐ de **késou** hǎo diǎn le ma? +
-    * English: Is your cough any better? +
-    * Analysis: A very common way to show concern for someone who has been sick. Here, `咳嗽` is used as a noun. +
-  * **Example 4:**  +
-    * 医生，我从昨天晚上开始**咳嗽**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Yīshēng, wǒ cóng zuótiān wǎnshang kāishǐ **késou**. +
-    * English: Doctor, I started coughing last night. +
-    * Analysis: A perfect sentence for a medical consultation. It clearly states the symptom and the time of onset. +
-  * **Example 5:**  +
-    * 你需要喝点**咳嗽**药水。 +
-    * Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào hē diǎn **késou** yàoshuǐ. +
-    * English: You need to drink some cough syrup. +
-    * Analysis: `咳嗽` acts as an adjective here to describe the type of `药水 (yàoshuǐ)`, or "medicinal liquid." +
-  * **Example 6:**  +
-    * 我是干咳，没有痰。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wǒ shì gān**ké**, méiyǒu tán. +
-    * English: I have a dry cough, no phlegm. +
-    * Analysis: Note the use of `干咳 (gānké)`, a more specific term for a "dry cough." While it uses the character `咳`, it's directly related to the concept of `咳嗽`. +
-  * **Example 7:**  +
-    * 在公共场合**咳嗽**的时候，请捂住嘴。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zài gōnggòng chǎnghé **késou** de shíhou, qǐng wǔ zhù zuǐ. +
-    * English: When you cough in public, please cover your mouth. +
-    * Analysis: This demonstrates `咳嗽` as a verb in a sentence about public etiquette. `捂住 (wǔ zhù)` means "to cover." +
-  * **Example 8:**  +
-    * 空气污染会让很多人**咳嗽**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Kōngqì wūrǎn huì ràng hěn duō rén **késou**. +
-    * English: Air pollution can make a lot of people cough. +
-    * Analysis: Shows how `咳嗽` can be the result of an external cause, not just an illness. `让 (ràng)` means "to make" or "to cause." +
-  * **Example 9:**  +
-    * 他半夜里**咳嗽**了好几次。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā bànyè li **késou** le hǎo jǐ cì. +
-    * English: He coughed quite a few times in the middle of the night. +
-    * Analysis: The structure `[verb] + 了 + [number] + 次` is used to specify how many times an action occurred. `好几 (hǎo jǐ)` is a colloquial way to say "quite a few." +
-  * **Example 10:**  +
-    * 这种药对**咳嗽**很有效。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng yào duì **késou** hěn yǒuxiào. +
-    * English: This kind of medicine is very effective for a cough. +
-    * Analysis: The preposition `对 (duì)` means "for" or "towards" in this context, showing what the medicine targets. `有效 (yǒuxiào)` means "effective." +
-  * **Example 11:** +
-    * 中医说我的**咳嗽**是热咳，不能吃辣的。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zhōngyī shuō wǒ de **késou** shì rèké, bù néng chī là de. +
-    * English: The Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor said my cough is a "hot cough," so I can't eat spicy food. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence directly ties into the cultural context, showing how a diagnosis of `热咳 (rèké)` leads to specific dietary advice. +
-===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== +
-  * **Verb vs. Noun Usage:** Just like in English, `咳嗽` can be a verb ("to cough") or a noun ("a cough"). However, the phrasing is slightly different. Instead of saying "I have a cough" (`*我有咳嗽`), it is much more natural to say **我咳嗽 (wǒ késou)** or, more commonly, **我有点儿咳嗽 (wǒ yǒudiǎnr késou)**. The first is a direct statement, the second implies it's a symptom you're experiencing. +
-  * **Mistake: Overusing a Measure Word.** A learner might try to say `*我有一个咳嗽 (wǒ yǒu yí ge késou)`. This is incorrect. A cough isn't typically "counted" with `个 (ge)`. To count specific instances, you use `声 (shēng)`, meaning "sound." +
-    * **Correct:** 他**咳了一声** (Tā **ké le yī shēng**). - He gave a cough / He coughed once. +
-  * **Cultural Misunderstanding:** The biggest "mistake" is applying a purely Western medical mindset. If a Chinese friend tells you to avoid watermelon when you have a "cold cough," don't dismiss it as unscientific. It's deeply rooted cultural health advice. Understanding concepts like `热咳 (rèké)` and `寒咳 (hánkè)` will give you huge insight into daily life and conversation. +
-===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== +
-  * [[感冒]] (gǎnmào) - The common cold. The most frequent cause of a `咳嗽`. +
-  * [[发烧]] (fāshāo) - To have a fever. A symptom that often accompanies a `咳嗽` when you have the flu. +
-  * [[喉咙痛]] (hóulóng tòng) - Sore throat. The pain that often precedes or accompanies a cough. +
-  * [[生病]] (shēngbìng) - To be sick/ill. The general state of which `咳嗽` is a symptom. +
-  * [[止咳]] (zhǐké) - To stop a cough. You'll see these characters on cough medicine (止咳药). +
-  * [[干咳]] (gānké) - Dry cough. A more specific type of `咳嗽`. +
-  * [[痰]] (tán) - Phlegm/sputum. What you might cough up with a "productive" cough. +
-  * [[打喷嚏]] (dǎ pēntì) - To sneeze. Another common symptom of a cold or allergies. +
-  * [[中医]] (zhōngyī) - Traditional Chinese Medicine. The medical philosophy that provides a unique cultural framework for understanding `咳嗽`. +
-  * [[药]] (yào) - Medicine. The general term for what you take to treat a `咳嗽`.+