How do you say "cough" in Korean?

기침

gichim

Noun Hangul

In Korean, "cough" is 기침 (gichim).

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Pronunciation

Gichim is light, gi-CHIM, the first syllable short and open, the second closing on a soft ch sound almost like the cough itself.

Writing and usage

기침 is written using hangul. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

마른 기침 때문에 잠을 이루지 못했다.

mareun gichim ttaemune jameul iruji mothaetda.

A dry cough kept her awake.

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How to remember 기침

Gichim sounds like the tail end of a cough, a little chim as your chest clears.

Related words

Browse all Korean words in the glossary.

Questions about 기침

How do you pronounce 기침?

Gichim is light, gi-CHIM, the first syllable short and open, the second closing on a soft ch sound almost like the cough itself.

Is 기침 formal or casual?

기침 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 기침 written in Korean?

기침 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as gichim.

Where can I practice Korean words for free?

You can play free Korean minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Korean glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Cough" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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