fumar
/fuˈmaɾ/
To smoke in Spanish is fumar.
Fumar is the most common and universal term used to describe inhaling and exhaling the smoke of tobacco or other substances. You can use fumar on its own, or use the construction fumar un cigarrillo to specify that you are smoking a cigarette.
Which one should you use?
While fumar is the standard term, you might encounter consumir tabaco, which is a formal expression that emphasizes the actual consumption of tobacco. In informal settings, you might hear the phrase echarse un pitillo to mean smoking a cigarette.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular present indicative form of fumar is fumo (I smoke). To describe a habitual action in the past, such as 'I used to smoke' or 'I was smoking', use the imperfect indicative form fumaba.
How do you pronounce it?
/fuˈmaɾ/
Did you know?
- Unlike most common Spanish verbs, fumar was not inherited directly from Latin but was borrowed into Spanish from the French word fumer.
- Spanish distinguishes between fumar for the act of smoking and humar for something that emits smoke, like a chimney or a volcano.
- The word pitillo used for a cigarette in some regions is the same word used for a drinking straw in others.
Examples in context
- Tom salió a fumar.Tom went outside to smoke.This sentence shows how to use fumar to indicate going outside for a smoke.Tatoeba #10124593 by manufrutos, translation #6976921 by CK
- Él se paró para fumar.He stopped to smoke.This sentence uses fumar to describe stopping an activity to smoke.Tatoeba #573046 by Shishir, translation #291669 by CK
- Le gusta fumar tabaco.She likes to smoke tobacco.This sentence shows how to use fumar when specifying the substance being smoked.Tatoeba #1138401 by Shishir, translation #778831 by FeuDRenais2
- No está permitido fumar dentro del edificioSmoking is not allowed inside the building
- Algunas personas tienen dificultades para inhalar el humo del cigarrilloSome people have difficulties inhaling cigarette smoke
- Me voy afuera a echarme un pitilloI'm going outside to smoke a cigarette
- Después de la cena siempre me fumo un cigarroI always smoke a cigarette after dinner
- Me di cuenta de que fumaba demasiado cuando noté que mi salud se estaba viendo afectadaI realized I was smoking too much when I noticed it was affecting my health
- 37 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are at a café and discussing a new rule.
- SofíaNo puedes fumar aquí dentro.You cannot smoke inside here.
- Alejandro¿Tengo que salir para fumar?Do I have to go outside to smoke?
- SofíaSí, Alejandro, debes salir.Yes, Alejandro, you must go out.
- AlejandroEstá bien, iré afuera.All right, I will go outside.
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.
