吐

• Pinyin: tǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 吐 = 口 (mouth) + 土 (earth, phonetic component)

Meaning

To spit out; to vomit; to speak out or reveal.

Has two pronunciations with different meanings: tǔ means to spit out or expel from the mouth (spitting, vomiting), while tù specifically means to vomit. Extended meanings include revealing information (吐露 confide) or speaking bluntly (吐槽 roast/complain). Very common in everyday speech.

Examples

1. 医生说他只是晕车，吐完就好了。 The doctor said he just got carsick and would feel better after vomiting.
2. 请不要在公共场合随地吐痰。 Please don't spit in public places.
3. 她终于把心里的话都吐出来了，感觉轻松多了。 She finally got everything off her chest and felt much more relieved.

Usage Guide

Context: health, everyday, colloquial

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 他吐了一晚上。(He was vomiting all night.)
• 把话吐出来！(Spit it out! — meaning 'tell me!')

Don't Say

• 吐饭 to mean not eating — 吐 means expelling food already eaten; for refusing to eat, use 不吃

Origin & History

The character uses 口 (mouth radical) indicating oral action, with 土 (earth) as the phonetic component.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal