禁煙
kin'en[kʲĩɰ̃ẽ̞ɴ]
The Japanese phrase for "no smoking" is 禁煙 (kin'en).
禁煙 is a phrase used in notices to indicate that the smoking of cigarettes is not permitted. It is frequently used as a prefix to specify non-smoking areas, such as 禁煙席 (non-smoking seat) or 禁煙エリア (non-smoking area).
Meaning: phrase used in notices indicating that the smoking of cigarettes is not permitted (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 禁 (prohibit) and 煙 (smoke).
Which one should you use?
While 禁煙 means no smoking, the term 喫煙 refers to the act of smoking and is often used on signs to indicate a smoking area, such as 喫煙所.
How do you pronounce it?
kin'en
Did you know?
- In some older Japanese restaurants, you might see 分煙, which means 'separated smoking'. This indicates that while the room is not entirely 禁煙, smokers and non-smokers are divided by a partition.
- The word 喫煙 for smoking uses the character 喫, which is also used in 喫茶店 for 'coffee shop', as both activities involve consuming something through the mouth.
- In Japan, 禁煙 signs are often accompanied by a small illustration of a cigarette with a red slash, but you may also see the phrase 禁煙』に御協力ください which asks for 'cooperation' rather than just stating a rule.
Examples in context
- 劇場内禁煙。No smoking in the theater.This sentence is useful for illustrating a no-smoking notice within a theater using 禁煙.Tatoeba #3474783 by arnab, translation #2846058 by englishchinese
- 館内は禁煙です。No smoking indoors.This sentence shows how to state that smoking is not permitted indoors using 禁煙.Tatoeba #9550236 by small_snow, translation #7708268 by AlanF_US
- 禁煙席を頼んだのですが。I asked for a seat in the no-smoking section.This sentence demonstrates how the term is used when discussing a non-smoking seat (禁煙席).Tatoeba #179952 by bunbuku, translation #18810 by CK
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yuiここは禁煙ですよ。Koko wa kin'en desu yo.This is a no smoking area.
- 健太 Kentaあ、すみません。間違えました。A, sumimasen. Machigaemashita.Oh, sorry. I made a mistake.
- 結衣 Yui大丈夫、気にしないで。Daijoubu, ki ni shinaide.It's okay, don't worry about it.
- 健太 Kenta失礼しました。Shitsurei shimashita.Excuse me (my mistake).
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no smoking” translations and entries 禁煙, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
