Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tosse | /ˈtos.se/ | feminine |
| colpo di tosse | /ˈkol.po di ˈtos.se/ (word by word) | masculine |
The noun tosse refers to the general condition or ailment of coughing. You can describe the nature of the cough using adjectives: tosse secca means a dry cough, and tosse grassa is used to describe a wet or productive cough. The related verb tossire refers to the actual action of coughing.
Which one should you use?
While tosse is the feminine noun for the general condition of coughing, colpo di tosse is a masculine phrase used to describe a single, sudden bout of coughing or a specific instance of a cough.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form colpo di tosse specifically translates to 'a cough' or 'a bout of coughing'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When saying you have a cough, avoid using the indefinite article una (una tosse) as English speakers often do. Instead, use the definite article la to say ho la tosse.
Did you know?
- While 'dry' and 'wet' describe the cough in English, the Italian tosse grassa literally translates to a 'fat cough'.
- The word colpo is a linguistic doublet of golfo, meaning 'gulf'. Both words evolved from the same Ancient Greek root kólaphos, though their meanings diverged completely.
- In Italian, the word tosse can be used in the expression far venire la tosse, which literally means 'to make the cough come' but can imply causing irritation.
Examples in context
- Io ho la tosse.I have a cough.This sentence is useful for saying you have a cough using tosse.Tatoeba #1260284 by Guybrush88, translation #51340 by CK
- Tom ha la tosse.Tom has a cough.This sentence shows how to say a third person has a cough using tosse.Tatoeba #3190046 by Guybrush88, translation #1025506 by CK
- Ho una tosse secca.I have a dry cough.This sentence demonstrates how to describe a dry cough using tosse.Tatoeba #1984620 by Guybrush88, translation #63522 by CK
- Il bambino ha la tosse da diversi giorni.The child has had a cough for several days.
- Ho preso il raffreddore e adesso ho questa tossetta fastidiosa.I caught a cold, and now I have this annoying cough.
- 34 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo is feeling unwell at home and Martina is checking on him.
- MartinaLorenzo, hai ancora la tosse?Lorenzo, do you still have the cough?
- LorenzoSì, Martina, è una tosse terribile.Yes, Martina, it is a terrible cough.
- MartinaTi serve un po' di sciroppo?Do you need some syrup?
- LorenzoSì, grazie, ne avrei bisogno.Yes, thank you, I would need it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cough” translations and entries tosse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (colpo, di, tosse) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries colpo, di, tosse, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
