zi2 kat1 seoi2止咳水
Jyutpingzi2 kat1 seoi2
Yalejí kāt séui
Definition
Cough syrup; a liquid medication formulated to relieve coughing.
colloquialhealth
How it's used
Refers specifically to medicinal syrup used to suppress coughing, but often carries a connotation of containing codeine or other controlled substances. Because of this, it is frequently associated with recreational misuse or addiction in local pop culture. When buying it at a pharmacy, pharmacists will often ask for identification due to these strict regulations.
Measure word
zi1支jīExamples
After drinking the cough syrup, my throat feels better.
Related words
Common phrases
to drink/take cough syrup
a bottle of cough syrup
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with general throat lozenges or herbal throat tea, which are not considered 止咳水. The term implies a liquid pharmaceutical product, usually dispensed in a small glass bottle.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
