fumar
/fuˈmaɾ/
Smoking in Spanish is fumar.
The word fumar refers to the act of smoking tobacco. If you are talking about the physical substance produced by fire, the word for smoke is humo and the word for cigarettes is cigarrillos.
Meaning: smoking of tobacco (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use fumar to refer to the action of smoking tobacco. In contrast, use the adjective humeante to describe something that is literally smoking or giving off smoke.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina and Uruguay, it is common to use the term fumar un pucho to refer to smoking a cigarette. In Spain, the slang term meterse un piti is used for smoking.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When the English gerund 'smoking' functions as a noun in phrases like 'stop smoking' or 'quit smoking', it is translated using the infinitive fumar. To express the act of quitting or giving up smoking, use the phrase dejar de fumar.
How do you pronounce it?
/fuˈmaɾ/
Did you know?
- Spanish has a rare pair of 'doublet' words, fumar and humar, which both mean to smoke or emit smoke. While fumar is used for tobacco, humar is an older, inherited term for the physical process of smoking.
- In Spain, the phrase meterse un piti uses the verb meterse, which literally means 'to put inside oneself', to describe the act of smoking.
- The term piti used in Spain is a shortened, colloquial version of pitillo, a word for a thin cigarette or a straw.
Examples in context
- Ella dejó de fumar.She stopped smoking.This sentence shows how to use fumar to express stopping the habit.Tatoeba #1207300 by Shishir, translation #311562 by CK
- Se abstuvo de fumar.He abstained from smoking.This sentence uses fumar to describe abstaining from the act.Tatoeba #10913677 by Eremon, translation #295416 by TracyPoff
- Voy a dejar de fumar.I'm quitting smoking.This sentence uses fumar to talk about the intention of quitting.Tatoeba #4353370 by umano, translation #4352269 by shmo
- El acto de fumar está prohibido en este edificio.Smoking is prohibited in this building.
- Por favor, deje de fumar aquí.Please stop smoking here.
- ¿Estás fumando otra vez?Are you smoking again?
- Estoy tratando de dejar de fumar.I'm trying to quit smoking.
- 312 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is discussing health at a cafe.
- SofíaFumar es muy malo para la salud.Smoking is very bad for your health.
- JavierLo sé, pero es un hábito difícil.I know, but it is a difficult habit.
- SofíaDeberías intentar dejar de fumar, Javier.You should try to stop smoking, Javier.
- JavierLo intentaré pronto, Sofía.I will try it soon, Sofia.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry fumar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fumar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
