シガー
shigā[ɕiɡa̠ː]
The Japanese word for cigar is シガー (shigā). Wiktionary also lists タバコ (tabako) and 煙草 (tabako).
Meaning: rolled bundle of tobacco made for smoking (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| シガー | shigā | [ɕiɡa̠ː] (narrow) |
| タバコ | tabako | [ta̠ba̠ko̞] (narrow) |
| 煙草 | tabako | [ẽ̞ɰ̃so̞ː] (narrow) |
The term refers to a rolled bundle of tobacco made for smoking.
Which one should you use?
Use シガー (shigā) when you want to specify a cigar specifically, whereas タバコ (tabako) or 煙草 (tabako) is the general term for any tobacco product.
How do you pronounce it?
shigā
Did you know?
- The term タバコ actually traces its roots back to Portuguese, making it a linguistic traveler that arrived in Japan via European trade routes.
- Historically, tobacco was once used in Japan as a medicinal treatment for asthma and throat ailments. It was viewed as a cure before it became a leisure product.
- The kanji 煙草 literally translates to 'smoke grass'. This descriptive naming convention reflects how the plant was perceived when it first arrived from China.
Example sentences for Japanese are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are visiting a specialty tobacco shop.
- 蓮 Ren結衣、このシガーはどう思う？Yui, kono shigā wa dō omou?Yui, what do you think of this cigar?
- 結衣 Yuiとてもおしゃれに見えるね。Totemo oshare ni mieru ne.It looks very stylish.
- 蓮 Ren父にシガーをプレゼントしたいんだ。Chichi ni shigā o purezento shitai nda.I want to give a cigar to my father as a present.
- 結衣 Yuiそれはいいアイデアだと思うよ。Sore wa ii aidea da to omou yo.I think that's a great idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cigar” translations and entries シガー, タバコ, 煙草, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries シガー, タバコ, 煙草, CC BY-SA 4.0.
