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Resources
Expressing 'to smoke' with 抽 (chōu)
Actions & Events
Structure
抽 + Object (烟/烟斗)
Explanation
The verb 抽 (chōu) means 'to smoke' when used with tobacco products such as cigarettes (烟) or pipes (烟斗). It literally means 'to draw' or 'to pull,' and this sense extends to the act of inhaling smoke. It is the most common colloquial word for smoking in Mandarin.
Examples
他站在阳台上抽了一根烟。
Tā zhàn zài yángtái shàng chōu le yì gēn yān.
He stood on the balcony and smoked a cigarette.
医生劝他别再抽烟了，对身体不好。
Yīshēng quàn tā bié zài chōuyān le, duì shēntǐ bù hǎo.
The doctor advised him to stop smoking — it's bad for his health.
我爷爷抽了一辈子烟斗。
Wǒ yéye chōu le yí bèizi yāndǒu.
My grandfather smoked a pipe his whole life.