咳嗽 ké sou
“to cough”
verbHSK 4Measure word 阵
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
咳嗽 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1428: 咳嗽 késou — Level 4; official annotation 4 (动). PDF page 115
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 咳嗽
咳嗽 means "to cough" and can also refer to a cough as a symptom. It is usually used without an object, often with time words or degree phrases like 一直咳嗽, 有点咳嗽, or 咳嗽得很厉害.
例句Example sentences
- 我昨天感冒了，今天一直咳嗽。wǒ zuó tiān gǎn mào le, jīn tiān yì zhí ké sou.I caught a cold yesterday, and today I've been coughing constantly.
- 他咳嗽得很厉害，最好去医院看看。tā ké sou de hěn lì hài, zuì hǎo qù yī yuàn kàn kàn.He is coughing badly; he'd better go to the hospital to get it checked.
- 孩子晚上有点咳嗽，可以多喝点水。hái zi wǎn shàng yǒu diǎn ké sou, kě yǐ duō hē diǎn shuǐ.The child has a slight cough at night; he can drink more water.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗他咳嗽地很厉害。
✓他咳嗽得很厉害。
A degree complement after a verb uses 得, not 地.