‘Zào ké’ literally means ‘dry cough’ and refers specifically to a type of cough in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) caused by dryness affecting the lungs—often due to external dry weather, internal yin deficiency, or prolonged illness. The character 燥 (zào) means ‘dry’ or ‘dryness’, indicating an imbalance where body fluids are insufficient; 咳 (ké) means ‘cough’. Together, they describe a cough that is non-productive—without phlegm—and often accompanied by symptoms like a sore throat, thirst, dry nose, or itchy chest.

This term is commonly used in clinical TCM contexts, health consultations, and herbal medicine prescriptions. It contrasts with ‘wet cough’ (湿咳, shī ké), which involves mucus. Patients may be advised to avoid spicy or fried foods and to consume moistening foods like pear or loquat syrup. While modern Western medicine might diagnose this as ‘irritant cough’ or ‘post-viral cough’, TCM treats it by nourishing lung yin and clearing dryness.