ചുമ
cuma/t͡ʃumɐ/
The English word 'cough' is translated to Malayalam as ചുമ (cuma).
ചുമ is a noun referring 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)
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe the action of coughing, the noun ചുമ becomes the verb ചുമയ്ക്കുന്നു.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is romanized as cuma and pronounced /tʃumɐ/.
Did you know?
- In some social contexts in Kerala, a loud ചുമ can be used as a non-verbal signal to get someone's attention without speaking.
- The Malayalam word ചുമ shares the same linguistic root as the Kannada word ಕೆಮ್ಮು, meaning they are sister words from the same ancestral Dravidian source.
- In Ayurvedic medicine, which heavily influences the culture of Kerala, ചുമ is often categorized by the 'dosha' or bodily humor it originates from.
Examples in context
- എനിക്ക് ചുമ വരുന്നു.I am coughing.
- എനിക്ക് കഠിനമായ ചുമ ഉണ്ട്.enikku kaṭhinamāya cumā uṇṭu.I have a severe cough.
- അവളുടെ ചുമ മാറുന്നില്ല.avaḷuṭe cumā māṟunilla.Her cough is not going away.
- ചുമ കുറയ്ക്കാൻ ഒരു മരുന്ന് വേണം.cumā kuṟaykkān oru marunnu vēṇam.I need a medicine to reduce the cough.
Example conversation
Vishnu and Anjali are talking about a cold.
- അഞ്ജലി Anjaliവിഷ്ണുവിന് ചുമ ഉണ്ടോ?Vishnuvin chuma undo?Does Vishnu have a cough?
- വിഷ്ണു Vishnuഅതെ, എനിക്ക് ചെറിയ ചുമയുണ്ട്.Athe, enikku cheriya chumayundu.Yes, I have a slight cough.
- അഞ്ജലി Anjaliമരുന്ന് കഴിച്ചോ?Marunnu kazhicho?Did you take medicine?
- വിഷ്ണു Vishnuഇല്ല, ഞാൻ ഇപ്പോൾ കഴിക്കും.Illa, njan ippol kazhikkum.No, I will take it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cough” translations and entries ചുമ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ചുമ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
