spit

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 吐 is associated with letting something out through the mouth; its on-reading is と, and the verb 吐く is read はく.
• Basic usage: 食べた物を吐く means vomiting food one has eaten, while 息を吐く means exhaling.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Vomiting and feeling nauseous
  • 吐き気, read はきけ, is the nauseous feeling of wanting to vomit. 吐き気を感じた alone does not establish that vomiting occurred.
  • The linking form of 吐く is 吐いて. 食べた物を吐いてしまった says that someone actually ended up vomiting what they had eaten.