toux
/tu/feminine
The French word for cough is toux.
The noun toux refers to the sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis and out through the mouth.
Meaning: sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth (noun)
Which one should you use?
When discussing medical symptoms, you can use the phrase toux sèche to describe a dry, non-productive cough. In contrast, a productive or wet cough is referred to as a toux grasse.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun toux is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/tu/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly pronounce the final 'x' in toux, but it is silent.
Did you know?
- The French expression tousser dans sa barbe literally means 'to cough into one's beard' and describes someone who disagrees with something but keeps their protest silent.
- If you are describing a 'wet' cough, you use the word grasse, which literally translates to 'fat'.
- The Proto-Indo-European root of toux implies a sudden 'pushing' or 'hitting' motion, reflecting the physical force of the action.
Examples in context
- J’ai de la toux.I have a cough.This sentence is useful for saying you have a cough using the form toux.Tatoeba #10707901 by AutoBot, translation #51340 by CK
- J'ai une toux sèche.I have a dry cough.This sentence is useful for describing a dry cough using the form toux.Tatoeba #10999 by sysko, translation #63522 by CK
- Avez-vous une toux ?Do you have a cough?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has a cough using the form toux.Tatoeba #7499181 by Micsmithel, translation #3318983 by CK
- Excusez-moi, j'ai une toux persistante. Auriez-vous un médicament contre la toux ?Excuse me, I have a persistent cough. Do you have a cough medicine?
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are talking in the office.
- HugoLéa, tu as une toux depuis ce matin.Léa, you have had a cough since this morning.
- LéaOui, ma toux m'empêche de dormir.Yes, my cough is keeping me from sleeping.
- HugoTu devrais prendre un sirop pour ta toux.You should take some syrup for your cough.
- LéaC'est une bonne idée, merci Hugo.That's a good idea, thanks Hugo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cough” translations and entries toux, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries toux, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
