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咳 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
咳
hāi
sound of sighing
HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #6904, Medium
咳
hāi
cough
HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #6904, Medium
咳
hāi
to cough
HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #6904, Medium
咳
ké
sound of sighing
HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #6904, Medium
咳
ké
cough
HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #6904, Medium
咳
ké
to cough
HSK 4, v, 9 strokes, radical 口, rank #6904, Medium
hāi(hai1)hai
primary
T1
1sound of sighing
2cough
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March 24, 2026
咳hāi(hai1)
The character 咳 (hāi) primarily means 'to cough' and can also represent the sound made while sighing. It is commonly used in both medical contexts and casual conversations to express discomfort or a reaction to something unpleasant, such as dust or smoke.
Strokes9Radical口Frequency#6904DifficultyMedium
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, coughing can often be a topic of concern, reflecting the value placed on health. Additionally, it is common to say 'excuse me' after coughing in social situations as a sign of politeness.
Memory tip
Imagine the sound 'hāi' pronounced like a sigh of relief after a cough. The character 咳 resembles a mouth (口) making a sound (the radical for sound in the top part), emphasizing the act of coughing or sighing.
Meanings of 咳
hāi(hai1)
primary
1sound of sighing
2cough
Exercise 1 of 3
By ear
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About 咳
咳Simplified
9Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#6904Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L4IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 咳
Podcast: 咳
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AI study notes for 咳
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 咳 with similar-sounding words that have different meanings. It is typically used in informal contexts, but can also appear in medical discussions. A common collocation is 咳嗽 (késòu), which means 'to cough'.
HSK Study Tips
While 咳 is not specifically listed in HSK levels, understanding it can enhance your vocabulary related to health and everyday situations. Focus on its pronunciation and use in phrases to reinforce your learning.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 咳 with other similar-sounding words, leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '我咳了' (Wǒ hāi le) instead of '我咳嗽了' (Wǒ késòu le) to mean 'I coughed' is incorrect.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 咳
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Example
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Knowing 咳 is seven skills, not one.
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咳 = 口 + 亥. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 咳
IDS Structure⿰口亥
咳Full character
=
口kou3
left
亥hai4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 咳?
How to say sound of sighing in Chinese
“sound of sighing” in Chinese is咳hāi
The character 咳 (hāi) primarily means 'to cough' and can also represent the sound made while sighing. It is commonly used in both medical contexts and casual conversations to express discomfort or a reaction to something unpleasant, such as dust or smoke.
When to use 咳
Be careful not to confuse 咳 with similar-sounding words that have different meanings. It is typically used in informal contexts, but can also appear in medical discussions. A common collocation is 咳嗽 (késòu), which means 'to cough'.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 咳 with other similar-sounding words, leading to incorrect usage. For example, saying '我咳了' (Wǒ hāi le) instead of '我咳嗽了' (Wǒ késòu le) to mean 'I coughed' is incorrect.
Write 咳
咳
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Grammar patterns of 咳
咳 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
háishi bié pǎo jǐn le, yī yǎo yá jiù késou, xīn kǒu wō là hāo hāo de!
If you strain to run fast, you start coughing and feel a constriction in the chest.
10
咳嗽差不多好了, 可以喝冻的, 吃辣的 吗 ?
késou chàbuduō hǎo le, kěyǐ hē dòng de, chī là de ma?
Cough is about the same good, can drink aspic, eat hot?
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Word Family of 咳
Words containing this character6
咳嗽késouto cough
咳hāisound of sighing
止咳zhǐkéto suppress coughing
百日咳bǎirìkéwhooping cough
咳痰kétánto cough up phlegm
咳呛kéqiàng(dialect) to cough咳嗆
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 咳
What does 咳嗽 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 咳
Some common phrases include '咳嗽' (ké sòu), meaning 'cough,' and '咳了一声' (ké le yī shēng), which translates to 'let out a cough.' These phrases are useful for describing coughing in different situations.
Yes, 咳 is commonly used in everyday conversation, especially when discussing health or when someone is actually coughing. It's a practical word to know for expressing physical reactions or symptoms.
咳 (hāi, ké) is a character that primarily means 'cough.' It can also refer to the sound of sighing. In conversational contexts, it is often used to express an involuntary action of coughing.
You can use 咳 in a sentence like '他咳嗽了' (tā ké sòu le), which means 'He coughed.' It can be used both as a verb and as a noun, depending on the context.
It is pronounced as 'hāi'.
It is generally used in informal contexts, but can appear in medical or health-related discussions.
咳 (hāi) refers to the act of coughing, while 咳嗽 (késòu) specifically means 'to cough'.
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