खाँसी (khaansii)

noun A single-sense feminine noun meaning 'cough'; often paired with the verb आना (aanaa) in the common construction खाँसी आना (khaansii aanaa, 'to have a coughing fit').
Sense 1 : cough (the ailment/symptom)
noun, feminine
Synonyms: कास (kaas, literary)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Like नींद (niind, 'sleep') or भूख (bhookh, 'hunger'), खाँसी (khaansii) is one of those body-state nouns that Hindi treats as visiting you rather than something you actively do -- so you'll hear उसे खाँसी हो गई (use khaansii ho gaii, 'he/she came down with a cough') or खाँसी आ रही है (khaansii aa rahii hai, 'a coughing fit is coming on') far more than any sentence built around the cough as your own action. Any Delhi household with a change of season will have someone reaching for अदरक की चाय (adrak kii chaay, 'ginger tea') or शहद (shahad, 'honey') the moment खाँसी (khaansii) starts.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often say मुझे खाँसी है (mujhe khaansii hai, 'I have a cough') using है (hai), but to describe an active fit or attack, native speakers switch to खाँसी आ रही है (khaansii aa rahii hai, 'a coughing fit is coming on') -- treating the cough as something that arrives rather than something you simply possess. 2) Do not confuse with खाँसना (khaansnaa), the verb 'to cough' -- खाँसी (khaansii) is only the noun naming the condition or the fit itself.
Sample Sentences:
उसे कल रात से खाँसी है। He has had a cough since last night.
(use kal raat se khaansii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
मौसम बदलते ही उसे खाँसी हो गई। As soon as the weather changed, he came down with a cough.
(mausam badalte hii use khaansii ho gaii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
रात भर मुझे खाँसी आती रही। I kept having coughing fits all night long.
(raat bhar mujhe khaansii aatii rahii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
देखो, बच्चे को अभी खाँसी आ रही है। Look, the child is having a coughing fit right now.
(dekho, bachche ko abhii khaansii aa rahii hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम गरम पानी पीते तो शायद खाँसी नहीं होती। If you had drunk warm water, maybe you wouldn't have gotten a cough.
(agar tum garam paanii piite to shaayad khaansii nahiin hotii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Active
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि यह खाँसी कोई गंभीर बात नहीं है। The doctor said that this cough is nothing serious.
(doktar ne kahaa ki yah khaansii koii gambhiir baat nahiin hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
खाँसी के लिए अदरक की चाय पी लो। Have some ginger tea for the cough.
(khaansii ke lie adrak kii chaay pii lo।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
हो सकता है उसे बदलते मौसम की वजह से खाँसी हो जाए। It's possible he might come down with a cough because of the changing weather.
(ho saktaa hai use badalte mausam kii vajah se khaansii ho jaae।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
इस खाँसी का इलाज शहद और अदरक से किया जाता है। This cough is treated with honey and ginger.
(is khaansii kaa ilaaj shahad aur adrak se kiyaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
सर्दियों में हर घर में किसी न किसी को खाँसी हो ही जाती है। In winter, someone or the other in every household ends up with a cough.
(sardiyon men har ghar men kisii n kisii ko khaansii ho hii jaatii hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर आपको लगातार खाँसी आए तो डॉक्टर को दिखाइए। If you keep having a persistent cough, please see a doctor.
(agar aapko lagaataar khaansii aae to doktar ko dikhaaie।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): खाँसी (khaansii)
(sg.f.oblique): खाँसी (khaansii)
(pl.f.direct): खाँसियाँ (khaansiyaan)
(pl.f.oblique): खाँसियों (khaansiyon)