An expectorant is a medicine that makes it easier to cough up the thick, sticky stuff (phlegm, or mucus) sitting in your chest.

An expectorantexpectorant is是 a medicine一種藥 that能讓你 makes it easier to cough up比較容易咳出 the thick, sticky stuff那種黏黏稠稠的東西 (phlegm, or mucus就是痰) sitting in your chest堆在胸腔裡的。

It does not stop your cough — it does the opposite. It loosens the phlegm so that when you cough, something actually comes out and your chest feels clearer.

It它 does not不會 stop your cough把你的咳嗽止住 — it它 does the opposite做的正好相反。 It它 loosens the phlegm讓痰變鬆 so that所以 when you cough你咳嗽的時候, something actually comes out真的會咳出東西 and而且 your chest feels clearer胸口感覺比較清爽。

This is worth being careful about, because cough medicines split into two opposite kinds: an expectorant helps you cough productively, and a cough suppressant (or 'cough medicine' in the loose everyday sense) stops you coughing. Take the wrong one and you may feel worse.

This這件事 is worth being careful about值得小心, because因為 cough medicines止咳藥 split into two opposite kinds分成兩種完全相反的類型: an expectorantexpectorant helps you cough productively能幫你有效地咳出東西, and而且 a cough suppressant止咳劑 (or 'cough medicine' in the loose everyday sense也就是日常說的「止咳藥」) stops you coughing會讓你不咳。 Take the wrong one如果拿錯 and而且 you你 may feel worse可能會更不舒服。

The word is a noun and also an adjective ('an expectorant syrup'). It belongs to pharmacies, drug labels and doctors — nobody says it at home.

The word這個字 is a noun是名詞 and也是 also an adjective形容詞 (an expectorant syrupan expectorant syrup（化痰糖漿）)。 It它 belongs to屬於 pharmacies藥局, drug labels藥品標籤 and和 doctors醫生的用語 — nobody沒有人 says it at home會在家裡這樣說。

A patient in Taiwan or in Britain would just say 'the medicine for bringing up phlegm' or read the box. The most common one you will actually see named is guaifenesin.

A patient病人 in Taiwan在台灣 or或 in Britain在英國 would just只會 say說 the medicine for bringing up phlegm「化痰的藥」 or或者 read the box看藥盒說明。 The most common one最常見的那個 you你 will actually see named實際上會看到的名字 is就是 guaifenesinguaifenesin（愈創甘油醚）。