kat1 sau3咳嗽
Jyutpingkat1 sau3
Yalekāt sau
Definition
To cough, or a cough.
neutralhealthbody
How it's used
While 咳嗽 is the formal term for the condition, native speakers almost exclusively use the verb 咳 in daily conversation. Using 咳嗽 in casual settings can sound slightly clinical or like you are reading from a medical report. If you are describing the act of coughing, simply say 咳 rather than using the full noun form.
Examples
He has been coughing a lot lately, he should see a doctor.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake 咳嗽 for a verb that can take objects directly, but it is primarily a noun or a formal verb. In spoken Cantonese, use 咳 as the verb, such as 咳咗成晚, instead of trying to use 咳嗽 as a verb.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
