Spanish word

toser

Pronunciation

IPA/toˈseɾ/

Meaning

  • verbcough

Example

Yo toso cuando hace frío.

I cough when it's cold.

Illustration for toser (cough)

More examples

Por la noche empiezo a toser y no puedo dormir.

At night I start to cough and I can't sleep.

Core concept

Sharp involuntary burst of air produced at the throat.

Common phrases

  • toser por la noche

    cough at night

  • empezar a toser

    start to cough

Similar words

carraspear: Clears the throat with a short, rasping sound to bring up phlegm.
estornudar: Expels air forcefully through the nose as a reflex to an irritant.
atragantarse: Becomes unable to breathe because the airway is blocked by food or an object.
ahogarse: Has severe difficulty breathing and risks suffocation from lack of air.

Definition in Spanish

Expresa la acción de expulsar aire de forma brusca y sonora desde la garganta, normalmente como reflejo respiratorio.

Word origin

Toser ultimately comes from Latin tussire and the noun tussis, with the verb form shaped by Old Romance developments before modern Spanish.

Usage tips

  • Common collocations include toser fuerte or toser mucho for a strong or repeated cough, and estar tosiendo is the usual way to report an ongoing bout.

Word lists with this word