喫煙
kitsuen[kʲit͡sɨẽ̞ɴ]
The Japanese word for smoking (of tobacco) is 喫煙 (kitsuen).
喫煙 is a noun used to refer to the act of smoking tobacco.
Meaning: smoking of tobacco (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the characters for 'smoke/inhale' (喫) and 'smoke' (煙).
Which one should you use?
While 喫煙 is a formal noun used in signs or official contexts, タバコを吸う is the common verb phrase used in daily conversation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
喫煙 is a formal term. Another formal term for smoking is 吸煙. The term 喫煙所 is the standard formal term used on signage to indicate a designated smoking area.
How do you pronounce it?
kitsuen
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word for tobacco is タバコ, which is written in katakana because it was borrowed from the Portuguese word 'tabaco'.
- The character 喫 in 喫煙 literally means 'to consume' or 'to eat', which implies that smoking is a form of consuming something. This is why it is used in words for eating or drinking rather than just breathing.
- The term 喫煙 uses the character 喫, which also appears in 喫茶店 meaning 'coffee shop' or 'tea house'.
Examples in context
- 喫煙は絶対禁止。Smoking is strictly prohibited.This sentence is useful for showing how to express that smoking is strictly prohibited.Tatoeba #182817 by bunbuku, translation #19937 by CK
- 母は喫煙に反対だ。My mother is against smoking.This sentence is useful for expressing opposition to smoking.Tatoeba #83012 by bunbuku, translation #486136 by CK
- 彼は喫煙をやめた。He stopped smoking.This sentence is useful for describing the act of quitting smoking.Tatoeba #108512 by bunbuku, translation #291668 by CK
- レストラン内は禁煙です。Smoking is prohibited inside the restaurant.
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Yui are looking for a place to wait at a station.
- 大翔 Hirotoここは喫煙エリアかな？Koko wa kitsuen eria kana?I wonder if this is a smoking area?
- 結衣 Yuiいいえ、あっちに喫煙所があるよ。Iie, acchi ni kitsuensho ga aru yo.No, there is a smoking area over there.
- 大翔 Hirotoあ、本当だ。助かるよ。A, honto da. Tasukaru yo.Oh, you're right. Thanks for the help.
- 結衣 Yuiいいよ。早く行こう。Ii yo. Hayaku ikou.No problem. Let's go quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “smoking” translations and entries 喫煙, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
