tos
/ˈtos/feminine
The English word cough is tos in Spanish.
The noun tos refers to the sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis and out through the mouth. You can describe the nature of a cough using specific terms: tos seca is the standard way to describe a dry or non-productive cough, often used in medical contexts, while tos con flemas is used for a productive or wet cough.
Meaning: sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis, and out through the mouth (noun)
Which one should you use?
The noun tos is used to name the cough itself, while the verb toser is used to describe the action of coughing. Additionally, cof is an interjection used to represent the actual sound of a cough.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun tos is feminine. Because of this, you must use feminine adjectives when describing it, such as seca (dry) or fuerte (strong). To describe the action of coughing, use the verb toser.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtos/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, a cough is sometimes used as a subtle social signal to get someone's attention without speaking or pointing.
- The word tos shares an ancient ancestry with the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)tew-, which is a distant relative to many words describing similar physical actions.
- While 'cough' is a neutral noun in English, the Spanish adjective used to describe a 'strong' cough is fuerte, which is the same word used to describe a 'strong' person or a 'strong' flavor.
Examples in context
- Tengo una tos seca.I have a dry cough.This sentence shows how to use tos to describe a dry cough.Tatoeba #1984617 by Shishir, translation #63522 by CK
- Tom se puso a toser.Tom started to cough.This sentence uses the verb toser to describe someone starting the action of coughing.Tatoeba #5225714 by marcelostockle, translation #2646859 by CK
- Mi tos está empeorando.My cough is getting worse.This sentence shows how to use tos when discussing the progression of a cough.Tatoeba #1072319 by hayastan, translation #250602 by CK
- Tiene tos secaHe/she has a dry cough
- La tos seca persisteThe dry cough persists
- Debe evitar expectorar en públicoYou should avoid coughing up phlegm in public
- No puedo dejar de toserI can't stop coughing
- Tengo una tos con flema muy fuerteI have a really strong cough with phlegm
- Le dije que carraspeara antes de hablarI told him/her to clear their throat before speaking
- Estoy enfermo/a y tengo mucha tos.I'm sick and I have a bad cough.
- Mi hijo tose mucho en las noches.My son coughs a lot at night.
- No puedo dejar de carraspear desde que me desperté.I can't stop clearing my throat since I woke up.
- 38 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking at home.
- LucíaDaniel, tienes una tos muy fuerte.Daniel, you have a very strong cough.
- DanielSí, no puedo dejar de toser.Yes, I cannot stop coughing.
- LucíaToma este jarabe para la tos.Take this cough syrup.
- DanielGracias, Lucía. Lo voy a tomar.Thank you, Lucía. I will take it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cough” translations and entries tos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
