kap1 jin1吸煙吸烟
Jyutpingkap1 jin1
Yalekāp yīn
Definition
To smoke cigarettes.
neutralhealthdaily actions
How it's used
吸煙 is primarily used in formal signage, legal documents, or public health warnings. In everyday casual conversation, people almost exclusively use 食煙. Using 吸煙 in a relaxed setting with friends can sound overly stiff or detached, similar to using 'tobacco consumption' in English.
Examples
Smoking is not allowed here.
When did you start smoking?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 吸煙 in casual conversation because it appears in textbooks, but it sounds unnatural when talking about personal habits. Always stick to 食煙 for daily speech.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
