Spanish Conversation · Level 35
75 words
Spanish word
tos
Pronunciation
IPA/tos/
Meaning
- feminine nouncough
Example
¿Por qué tienes tos?
Why do you have a cough?
More examples
La tos me impide dormir por la noche.
The cough keeps me from sleeping at night.
Core concept
Brief forceful exhalation from the throat that produces a sharp sound.
Common phrases
tener tos
have a cough
tos seca
dry cough
ataque de tos
coughing fit
Similar words
resfriado: Mild viral cold causing runny nose, sore throat, and light congestion.
gripe: Acute viral illness with high fever, severe body aches, and strong fatigue.
fiebre: Elevated body temperature above normal, often signaling infection.
estornudo: Sudden involuntary expulsion of air and droplets through nose and mouth.
Definition in Spanish
Ruido y expulsión súbita de aire desde la garganta, causado por irritación de las vías respiratorias.
Word origin
From Latin tussis, with cognates in French (toux) and Italian (tosse), and historically reduced in Spanish to the short form tos.
Usage tips
- Pronounced as a single syllable with a pure Spanish o vowel rather than the English 'aw' in 'toss'.
Related words
- tosercoughverb
- tosferinawhooping coughnoun