thuốc lá
[tʰuək̚˧˦ laː˧˦]
The Vietnamese word for cigarette is thuốc lá. Wiktionary also lists điếu thuốc lá.
Meaning: thin roll of tobacco made for smoking (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| thuốc lá | [tʰuək̚˧˦ laː˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [tʰuək̚˦˧˥ laː˨˩˦] (Huế, narrow) |
| điếu thuốc lá |
The term refers to a thin roll of tobacco made for smoking. While the full phrase for smoking is hút thuốc lá, in casual conversation, speakers often shorten this to just hút thuốc when the context is already clear.
What does it mean word for word?
The term thuốc lá literally translates to 'tobacco leaf' or 'tobacco medicine'.
Which one should you use?
Thuốc lá is used as a general noun for the substance or the product (tobacco/cigarettes), whereas điếu thuốc lá refers to a single, discrete unit (a cigarette).
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are counting individual cigarettes, you use the specific classifier điếu. Therefore, a single cigarette is expressed as điếu thuốc lá.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Hút thuốc lá là không tốt.It is not good to smoke cigarette.This sentence demonstrates the use of thuốc lá to describe the act of smoking.Tatoeba #11356322 by chaule3, translation #11356320 by chaule3
- Sami đã đi ra ngoài để hút một điếu thuốc lá.Sami went outside to smoke a cigarette.This sentence shows how to use điếu thuốc lá when referring to a single cigarette.Tatoeba #9086753 by dotheduyet1999, translation #7189610 by OsoHombre
- Bạc sĩ: Bạn có hút thuốc lá không?Doctor: Do you smoke cigarettes?
- Anh ấy đang cầm một bao thuốc lá.He is holding a pack of cigarettes.
Example conversation
Lan and Minh are standing outside a restaurant.
- LanMinh, anh có mang theo thuốc lá không?Minh, do you have any cigarettes with you?
- MinhAnh không mang theo, Lan ạ.I didn't bring any, Lan.
- LanTiếc quá, em muốn hút một điếu.That's too bad, I want to smoke one.
- MinhAnh nghĩ anh không nên cho em mượn.I think I shouldn't let you borrow some.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cigarette” translations and entries thuốc lá, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lá, thuốc, thuốc lá, điếu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
