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Level 10
タバコ

Tobacco

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Meaning

Primary

Tobacco

Alternative

Cigarette

Word Type

noun

Explanation

タバコ is the Japanese version of the Portuguese word "tabaco." You probably won’t be shocked to learn that タバコ means tobacco or cigarette in English!

Watch out for the first syllable, which is タ and not ト. タバコ can also be written in hiragana, and even in kanji, but katakana is the most common by far.

Pronunciation

タバコ
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Context

Patterns of Use

タバコを〜 タバコの〜 〜タバコ

Common Word Combinations

  • タバコをやめる

    to quit smoking

    タバコをふかす

    to smoke a cigarette

    タバコを買う

    to buy cigarettes

Context Sentences

あ、タバコのにおいがする。

Oh, I can smell cigarette smoke.

タバコが中々やめられないんだ。

I've been struggling to quit smoking.

歩きタバコはよくないよ。

It's not good to smoke while walking.