Meaning
吐 is a common verb meaning to expel something from the mouth or stomach. It can refer to spitting out saliva, food, or other substances, as well as vomiting. The character combines the mouth radical (口) with the phonetic component 土 (soil), suggesting the action of expelling something outward from the mouth.
Usage
吐 is used in both casual and medical contexts. When referring to vomiting, it's often paired with other characters like 呕吐 (ǒu tǔ). In colloquial speech, 吐 alone commonly means to vomit or feel nauseous. It can also describe spitting out food, seeds, or even words (吐出真相 - to reveal the truth).
Examples
- 01他晕车了，在车上吐了好几次。, .He got carsick and vomited several times in the car.
- 02吃西瓜的时候别忘了把籽儿吐出来。.Don't forget to spit out the seeds when eating watermelon.
Common collocations
- 呕吐to vomit
- 吐痰to spit phlegm
- 想吐to feel like vomiting/nauseous
- 吐出来to spit out
Antonyms
Origin
The character 吐 consists of 口 (mouth) on the left and 土 (earth/soil) on the right. The 土 component serves as a phonetic indicator while also suggesting the expulsion of something outward from the mouth.