Key Facts
- Hangul: 기침; Revised Romanization: gichim
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: native Korean
- Register: Neutral; used in everyday speech.
Cough in Korean: What Does 기침 Mean?
기침 is a cough. It is a plain native Korean noun used in everyday speech and at the clinic. You do not "have" a cough with a possession verb; the cough comes out, so Korean says it appears (나다) or that you do it (하다).
How Do You Pronounce 기침?
기침 has two syllables: gi-chim. The initial ㄱ is a gentle g, and the ㅊ in the second syllable is aspirated, written ch. Spelling and sound agree, and the final ㅁ stays a plain m.
Example Sentences with 기침
기침이 나요.
Gichimi nayo.
I have a cough.
기침이 나요 is the standard way to say you have a cough; the cough "comes out".
어제부터 기침을 해요.
Eojebuteo gichimeul haeyo.
I have been coughing since yesterday.
어제부터 means "since yesterday", and 기침을 해요 is the verb form, "I am coughing".
기침이 심해서 병원에 갔어요.
Gichimi simhaeseo byeongwone gasseoyo.
My cough was bad, so I went to the hospital.
심해서 means "because it is severe", and 병원에 갔어요 means "went to the hospital".
Common Phrases and Collocations
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 기침이 나다 | to have a cough |
| 기침을 하다 | to cough |
| 기침이 심하다 | for a cough to be severe |
| 기침약 | cough medicine |
The Mistake to Avoid
Wrong: ✗ 기침을 가지고 있어요
Correct: ✓ 기침이 나요 or 기침을 해요
Why: Korean does not treat a cough as something you possess. Say it comes out (기침이 나요) or that you do it (기침을 해요).
기침 Compared with Related Words
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 기침 | cough | The word on this page. |
| 감기 | cold (illness) | The illness; coughing is one of its symptoms. |
| 가래 | phlegm | What you may cough up. |
| 재채기 | sneeze | A different reflex that learners sometimes mix with a cough. |
A 감기 may bring 기침, 가래 and 재채기 all at once.
Where Does the Word Come From?
Nothing in the spelling of 기침 comes from Chinese characters, because it is a native Korean word.
Describing a Cough at a Clinic
A patient has been coughing since yesterday. The clinician asks when it began and whether there is also a fever. This conversation describes symptoms without naming an illness.
Clinician
언제부터 기침이 났어요?
Eonjebuteo gichimi nasseoyo?
When did the cough start?
Patient
어제부터요. 밤에 기침이 심해요.
Eojebuteoyo. Bame gichimi simhaeyo.
Since yesterday. The cough is bad at night.
Clinician
열도 나요?
Yeoldo nayo?
Do you also have a fever?
Patient
아니요. 열은 없어요.
Aniyo. Yeoreun eopseoyo.
No. I do not have a fever.
언제부터 means “since when”. The answer 어제부터 supplies the starting point, while 밤에 adds when the cough is worse. You can hear the same noun twice without it sounding strange: the clinician asks about 기침, and the patient keeps the symptom clear in the reply.
열은 없어요 says there is no fever. The topic marker 은 puts fever in contrast with the cough already mentioned. This is useful when answering questions one symptom at a time. The dialogue's polite endings fit a conversation with an unfamiliar clinician; the noun 기침 itself stays unchanged.
Explain What the Cough Is Doing
기침이 나다 and 기침을 하다 describe the same everyday symptom from slightly different angles. 나다 presents the cough as something that happens or comes out. 하다 describes the act of coughing. Notice the matching particles: 기침이 goes with 나다, while 기침을 goes with 하다. Learn each short phrase together so the particle is easier to remember.
기침이 심하다 describes severity. 기침이 심해서 connects that description to a result, as in the existing example about going to the hospital. 심하다 is useful for a strong symptom; it does not tell the listener how long the cough has lasted. A time phrase such as 어제부터 supplies that separate piece of information.
기침이 멎다 means that coughing stops. 멎다 describes the symptom coming to a stop, rather than someone deciding not to cough. 마른기침 means a dry cough: 마른 literally means “dry”, and the compound refers to coughing without phlegm. These are descriptions you may hear in a symptom conversation, rather than names for particular diseases.
Where You Will Hear or Read 기침
You will meet 기침 in pharmacy conversations, clinic questions and public notices about coughing etiquette. 기침 예절 means “cough etiquette”: the second noun, 예절, refers to manners. Here the phrase concerns behavior when coughing, rather than the cause of the symptom. It is a useful heading to recognize on a poster.
기침약 is written as one word and names cough medicine. 감기약 means cold medicine, so the two labels describe different categories even when products are discussed in the same conversation. A speaker who mentions 기침약 is naming medicine for the symptom; the word itself does not establish that the person has a cold.
In everyday talk, a friend may ask about a cough after hearing you cough. In a clinic, the follow-up questions may instead concern timing, severity and other symptoms. Keeping 기침 separate from 감기 lets you report what you notice without having to supply a diagnosis. The vocabulary here helps you explain the experience; it does not decide its cause.
Words to Add to a Symptom Description
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 열 | fever | Use it to say whether a fever accompanies the cough. |
| 가래 | phlegm | Helps distinguish a dry cough from one with phlegm. |
| 목 | throat / neck | In a symptom conversation, often refers to the throat. |
| 콧물 | runny nose / nasal discharge | Another symptom you may be asked about. |
| 재채기 | sneeze | Names sneezing rather than coughing. |
The health and medicine vocabulary lesson groups symptoms with the places and people involved in a clinic visit.
Quick Self-Test
- Complete the phrase: 기침___ 나요 — 이 or 을?
- Does 기침 by itself mean that someone has a cold?
- What information does 어제부터 add?
Show answers
- 이: 기침이 나요.
- No. It names the cough, while 감기 names a cold.
- It says the symptom began yesterday.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say "cough" in Korean?
Cough in Korean is 기침 (gichim), a native Korean noun.
How do I say "I have a cough"?
Say 기침이 나요. For an ongoing cough, say 어제부터 기침을 해요.
How do I say "cough medicine"?
The word is 기침약. A severe cough is 기침이 심하다.
Is 기침 the same as 감기?
No. 기침 is a symptom, while 감기 is the cold itself.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Health and Medicine groups 기침 with its neighbours.
- Index: find cough beside every other single-word entry in Korean words A to Z.
- See also fever.
- See also cold.