Japanese word

咳

Pronunciation

Romajiseki

Meaning

  • nouncough

Example

夜に咳が出ます。yoru ni seki ga de ma su

I have a cough at night.

Illustration for 咳 (cough)

More examples

授業中に咳をするときは、口を押さえます。ju gyō chū ni seki o su ru to ki wa kuchi o o sa e ma su

I cover my mouth when I cough in class.

Core concept

Names the forceful expulsion of air that happens when the throat or airways need to be cleared.

Common phrases

  • 咳をするseki o su ru

    cough

  • 咳が出るseki ga de ru

    have a cough

  • 咳が止まらないseki ga to ma ra na i

    cannot stop coughing

Definition in Japanese

喉や気道に入った異物や刺激を取り除くために、空気を急に吐き出すこと。nodo ya ki dō ni hai tta i butsu ya shi geki o to ri nozo ku ta me ni kū ki o kyū ni ha ki da su ko to

Word origin

The Japanese noun 咳 (seki) comes from the verb 咳く (seku), meaning "to cough," through the noun-forming use of its verb stem; 咳 is the kanji used for the word.

Usage tips

  • 咳 (seki) is a noun in Japanese, while English cough functions as both a noun and a verb, so the two words behave differently in sentences.

Word lists with this word