呕 (ǒu) - to vomit & to retch

呕Tone 3

ǒu ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 口

柠七

呕 · ǒu

to vomit;

to retch;

to feel nauseated;

to disgust;

to irritate

to vomitto retchto feel nauseated

Usage highlights

vomitnauseatingvomit blooddisgusting behaviormake someone sickretch

Synonyms

  • 吐— to spit; to vomit
  • 恶心— nauseous; disgusting
  • 反胃— regurgitation; nausea

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He felt nauseous and vomited (呕吐).
  • The smell made me want to throw up (令人作呕).
  • She was vomiting blood (呕血).
  • This behavior is disgusting (呕心).

Collocations

  • vomit(呕吐)
  • nauseating(令人作呕)
  • vomit blood(呕血)
  • disgusting behavior(呕心)
  • make someone sick(呕人)
  • retch(干呕)

Idioms

  • Work one's heart out(呕心沥血)
  • Make one's blood boil(呕心抽肠)
  • Disgusting to the extreme(令人作呕)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character combines mouth (口) with area (区), suggesting the physical act of vomiting from the mouth.
  • In Chinese medicine, vomiting is seen as a symptom of imbalance in the stomach and spleen.
  • The idiom '呕心沥血' describes extreme dedication and hard work, literally meaning 'vomiting heart and shedding blood'.

FAQ