Tobacco in Different Languages
Discover 'Tobacco' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Tobacco, a plant native to the Americas, has a rich history and cultural significance that extends far beyond its use as a recreational drug or nicotine delivery device. For centuries, tobacco has played a central role in the rituals and traditions of indigenous cultures, where it was often used as an offering to the gods or as a means of communication with the spiritual world. Even today, tobacco is held in high regard in many cultures, where it is seen as a symbol of hospitality, friendship, and respect.
Given its global impact, it's not surprising that the word 'tobacco' has been translated into countless languages around the world. In Spanish, for example, tobacco is known as 'tabaco', while in French it is called 'tabac'. In German, the word is 'Tabak', and in Italian, it is 'tabacco'. In Japanese, tobacco is 'tabako', and in Chinese, it is 'yancao'.
Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural historian, or simply someone with a passing interest in the world around you, understanding the many translations of the word 'tobacco' can be a fascinating journey into the rich tapestry of human history and culture.
Tobacco
Tobacco in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | tabak | ||
| The word "tabak" in Afrikaans is derived from the Dutch word "tabak" and also refers to the chewing tobacco used in dipping. | |||
| Amharic | ትንባሆ | ||
| The Amharic word "ትንባሆ" (tobacco) is derived from the Portuguese "tonbaco," reflecting the historical trade relationship between the two countries. | |||
| Hausa | taba | ||
| The Hausa word "taba" can also refer to "snuff", "incense", or "fragrant herbs". | |||
| Igbo | ụtaba | ||
| It is also used to describe a type of snuffbox made from animal horn. | |||
| Malagasy | sigara | ||
| The word "sigara" in Malagasy originally meant "cigarette", but now it is used to refer to any form of tobacco. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | fodya | ||
| The word "fodya" in Nyanja (Chichewa) also means "snuffbox" or "cigarette case". | |||
| Shona | fodya | ||
| In some dialects, fodya may also refer to the leaves of certain trees used for medicinal purposes or for producing traditional dyes. | |||
| Somali | tubaakada | ||
| The Somali word "tubaakada" is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "tabak". | |||
| Sesotho | koae | ||
| Sesotho word "koae" is also the name of a type of beetle or insect. | |||
| Swahili | tumbaku | ||
| The word "tumbaku" is borrowed from Portuguese "tombaco", which in turn comes from the Tupi word "tunba'ka". | |||
| Xhosa | icuba | ||
| Yoruba | taba | ||
| "Tàbá" can also mean "snuff" in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | ugwayi | ||
| The Zulu word "ugwayi" also signifies "a plant, usually of medicinal value." | |||
| Bambara | sigarɛti | ||
| Ewe | atama | ||
| Kinyarwanda | itabi | ||
| Lingala | makaya | ||
| Luganda | taaba | ||
| Sepedi | motšoko | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tawa a wɔde di dwuma | ||
Tobacco in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | التبغ | ||
| "التبغ" means "tobacco" in Arabic, but it also has the alternate meaning of "the act of smoking tobacco". | |||
| Hebrew | טַבָּק | ||
| In Aramaic, טַבָּק refers to a type of liquid dye | |||
| Pashto | تنباکو | ||
| The word "تنباکو" comes from the Taino word "tabaco", which means "a roll of tobacco leaves". | |||
| Arabic | التبغ | ||
| "التبغ" means "tobacco" in Arabic, but it also has the alternate meaning of "the act of smoking tobacco". | |||
Tobacco in Western European Languages
| Albanian | duhanit | ||
| {"text": "The word "duhanit" is derived from the Proto-Albanian word *d(h)uni, which meant "herb, plant" and is related to the Albanian word "bimë," also meaning "herb, plant."} | |||
| Basque | tabakoa | ||
| The word 'tabakoa' in Basque may come from the Mayan 'ta' (strong) and 'bak' (smoke). | |||
| Catalan | tabac | ||
| The word "tabac" can also refer to a shop that sells tobacco and other related products in Catalan. | |||
| Croatian | duhan | ||
| Duhan, the Croatian word for tobacco, comes from the Persian word دخان (dukhān), meaning "smoke." | |||
| Danish | tobak | ||
| Tobak is the Danish word for tobacco, and it is used to refer to the plant itself, as well as to the dried leaves that are smoked or chewed. | |||
| Dutch | tabak- | ||
| The word "tabak-" can also mean "smoke" or "fumigate" in Dutch. | |||
| English | tobacco | ||
| The word "tobacco" comes from the Taino word "tabaco", which means "a roll of leaves" | |||
| French | le tabac | ||
| The French word "le tabac" originally referred to a pipe, not the plant itself, and is derived from the Caribbean Taino language. | |||
| Frisian | tabak | ||
| The word "tabak" in Frisian has its origin in the Spanish word "tabaco", which in turn comes from the Taíno word "tabaco" meaning "a roll of tobacco leaves". | |||
| Galician | tabaco | ||
| In Galician, "tabaco" has a double meaning: "tobacco" and "large, flat stone". | |||
| German | tabak | ||
| In German, the word "Tabak" can also refer to a playing card game, the "Tappen" card game. | |||
| Icelandic | tóbak | ||
| The word "tóbak" is derived from the Nahuatl word "tōbaktl" and has an obsolete meaning of "pipe" | |||
| Irish | tobac | ||
| In Irish, the word "tobac" also means "a cloud of smoke". | |||
| Italian | tabacco | ||
| In Italian, the word "tabacco" derives from an extinct South American word, of Haitian origin, "tabaco", which means "roll of tobacco leaves". | |||
| Luxembourgish | tubak | ||
| The word "Tubak" in Luxembourgish is derived from the Tupi word "tupaka" meaning "pipe" and was later adopted by the Spanish and Portuguese as "tabaco." | |||
| Maltese | tabakk | ||
| The word "tabakk" in Maltese is derived from the Arabic word "tabgh", meaning "herb" or "plant". | |||
| Norwegian | tobakk | ||
| "Tobakk" is derived from the Spanish "tabaco", which is also the origin of the English "tobacco." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | tabaco | ||
| The word "tabaco" in Portuguese derives from the Tupi-Guarani word "petum" and was first used in Europe in the 16th century. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tombaca | ||
| Scots Gaelic “tombaca” was borrowed from Spanish “tombaco”, which may have come from a Mayan word meaning “pipe”. | |||
| Spanish | tabaco | ||
| In Spanish, the word "tabaco" can mean both "tobacco" and "snuff" | |||
| Swedish | tobak | ||
| In Swedish, 'tobak' can also refer to the leaves and stems of the tobacco plant before processing. | |||
| Welsh | tybaco | ||
| The Welsh word 'tybaco', meaning 'tobacco', derives from the Spanish word 'tabaco', originally from the Taíno word 'cohiba'. | |||
Tobacco in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | тытунь | ||
| The word "тытунь" is derived from the South American Indian language Taino and was originally used to refer to the smoking pipe used by the indigenous people of the Caribbean. | |||
| Bosnian | duvan | ||
| The word 'duvan' can also refer to a type of sweet, sticky pastry filled with walnuts or almonds in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | тютюн | ||
| Тютюн comes from the Turkish word "tütün" with the same meaning, which in turn comes from the Arabic word "dukhkhān", also meaning "tobacco". | |||
| Czech | tabák | ||
| The word "tabák" comes from the Taino word "tabaco", meaning "herb that heals". | |||
| Estonian | tubakas | ||
| Tubakas has the alternate meanings "snuff" and "powdered gold". | |||
| Finnish | tupakka | ||
| The word was derived from the Taino word "tabaco." | |||
| Hungarian | dohány | ||
| "Dohány" szó a török "tütün" szóból ered, eredeti jelentése "fű", "növény" volt. | |||
| Latvian | tabaka | ||
| The word "tabaka" in Latvian can also refer to a tobacco pipe or a cigarette. | |||
| Lithuanian | tabakas | ||
| "Tabakas" is derived from the Tupi word "pétun" meaning "sacred herb". | |||
| Macedonian | тутун | ||
| The word "тутун" also refers to the act of smoking and its effects. | |||
| Polish | tytoń | ||
| The word "tytoń" is derived from the Latin word "tabacum", which in turn comes from the Taíno word "cohiba." | |||
| Romanian | tutun | ||
| It comes from Proto-Slavic *tutunŭ, which is a derivative of Ottoman Turkish dütün 'smoke' | |||
| Russian | табак | ||
| The word "табак" in Russian is derived from the West Indian Taino word "tabaco". | |||
| Serbian | дуван | ||
| While the word 'дуван' in Serbian primarily refers to tobacco, it can also mean 'powder' or 'gunpowder', showcasing its multifaceted history. | |||
| Slovak | tabak | ||
| The word "tabak" can also refer to "a pile" | |||
| Slovenian | tobak | ||
| "Tobak" can also mean "dust" or "powder" in Slovenian. | |||
| Ukrainian | тютюн | ||
| "Тютюн" is a word of Turkic origin that entered the Ukrainian language at the end of the 16th century and initially meant "pipe" or "smoke from a pipe" | |||
Tobacco in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | তামাক | ||
| The word "তামাক" comes from the Mayan word "tamal'li", meaning "wrapped leaf". | |||
| Gujarati | તમાકુ | ||
| The word ''તમાકુ'' is derived from the Mayan word ''tamak'', meaning ''a bundle of smoking leaves''. | |||
| Hindi | तंबाकू | ||
| The word "तंबाकू" (tobacco) is derived from the Spanish word "tabaco", which is in turn derived from a Mayan language word for a smoking pipe. | |||
| Kannada | ತಂಬಾಕು | ||
| Though now exclusively associated with tobacco, the Kannada word ತಂಬಾಕು (tambaaku) once also referred to a particular type of cotton known for its elasticity | |||
| Malayalam | പുകയില | ||
| Marathi | तंबाखू | ||
| The word "तंबाखू" is derived from the Portuguese word "tabaco", which is the name given to the tobacco plant by the indigenous people of the Caribbean Islands. | |||
| Nepali | सुर्ती | ||
| The word "सुर्ती" is derived from Sanskrit "sur" meaning "surak" (a kind of alcoholic beverage) or "sur" (god) and "-ti" meaning "plant". | |||
| Punjabi | ਤੰਬਾਕੂ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දුම්කොළ | ||
| දුම්කොළ is of uncertain origin but may be derived from the Tamil word 'thumbai' meaning 'to smoke' or 'to inhale'. | |||
| Tamil | புகையிலை | ||
| Telugu | పొగాకు | ||
| The Telugu word 'పొగాకు' is derived from the Spanish word 'tabaco', which in turn is derived from the Nahuatl word 'yeyatl', meaning 'pipe' or 'tobacco'. | |||
| Urdu | تمباکو | ||
| The word 'تمباکو' in Urdu is thought to have been derived from the Persian word 'تنباکو', which itself comes from the Nahuatl word 'picietl'. | |||
Tobacco in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 烟草 | ||
| The word 烟草 literally translates as | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 煙草 | ||
| The Chinese character for "tobacco" (煙草) is a combination of the characters for "smoke" (煙) and "herb" (草), reflecting its origins as a plant that is smoked. | |||
| Japanese | タバコ | ||
| "タバコ" is derived from Spanish "tabaco". In addition to tobacco, it can also mean a roll of paper that marijuana, hemp, etc. are wrapped in. | |||
| Korean | 담배 | ||
| The word "담배" is also used to refer to the act of smoking and can be translated as "smoking" or "cigarette." | |||
| Mongolian | тамхи | ||
| The word 'тамхи' is derived from the Chinese word 'tanbak', which means 'tobacco'. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဆေးရွက်ကြီး | ||
Tobacco in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tembakau | ||
| The word "tembakau" is derived from the Portuguese word "tabaco", which in turn comes from the Mayan word "taab ak". In Javanese, "tembakau" also means "to shoot with a gun", due to the similarity in pronunciation. | |||
| Javanese | tembako | ||
| The word "tembako" is used to refer to the plant and the dried leaf that is smoked. | |||
| Khmer | ថ្នាំជក់ | ||
| The word 'ថ្នាំជក់' (pronounced 'tnorm chork') literally translates to 'medicine to shake', and in Khmer culture, tobacco chewing is believed to improve digestion and alertness. | |||
| Lao | ຢາສູບ | ||
| The Lao word ຢາສູບ ( | |||
| Malay | tembakau | ||
| Tembakau is also the Malay word for artillery. | |||
| Thai | ยาสูบ | ||
| The word 'ยาสูบ' derives from Sanskrit, where 'su' is 'good' and 'paa' is 'to protect or nourish' | |||
| Vietnamese | thuốc lá | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tabako | ||
Tobacco in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | tütün | ||
| "Tütün" originates from Arabic "dukhkhan", meaning "smoke". | |||
| Kazakh | темекі | ||
| The Kazakh word 'темекі' not only means 'tobacco', but also refers to a traditional herb mixture smoked in a pipe. | |||
| Kyrgyz | тамеки | ||
| The word "тамеки" is derived from the Persian word "تنباکو" (tambaku), which itself comes from the Arabic word "تنباك" (tunbak). | |||
| Tajik | тамоку | ||
| The Tajik word "тамоку" comes from the Spanish "tabaco", meaning "tobacco plant". | |||
| Turkmen | temmäki | ||
| Uzbek | tamaki | ||
| In Uzbek, "tamaki" is a popular colloquial word for "tobacco", while the more formal term is "tamaki mahsulotlari". | |||
| Uyghur | تاماكا | ||
Tobacco in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | paka | ||
| Hawaiian word “paka” has been used to describe tobacco, the plant, and the act of smoking. | |||
| Maori | tupeka | ||
| The Maori word "tupeka" likely derives from the Spanish "tabaco" and also refers to smoking accessories. | |||
| Samoan | tapaa | ||
| The word "tapaa" can also refer to an intoxicating drink made with kava or a roll of finely woven barkcloth. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tabako | ||
| The Tagalog word "tabako" derives from the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs and means both "tobacco" and "smoke". | |||
Tobacco in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | tabaco ukata | ||
| Guarani | tabaco rehegua | ||
Tobacco in International Languages
| Esperanto | tabako | ||
| The word "tabako" comes from the Taino word "kohiba", meaning "a roll of tobacco leaves." | |||
| Latin | tabaci | ||
| In pre-Columbian Latin, "tabaci" referred specifically to the smoking tube, rather than the plant. | |||
Tobacco in Others Languages
| Greek | καπνός | ||
| The Greek word "καπνός" also means "smoke" and is related to the name of the Roman god Vulcan, whose association with fire and smoke gave his name to the volcano. | |||
| Hmong | luam yeeb | ||
| The Hmong word "luam yeeb" also refers to a type of shamanistic spirit, embodying aspects of both good and evil and associated with a certain degree of danger and fear. | |||
| Kurdish | tûtin | ||
| In Kurdish, the word "tûtin" can also mean "pipe" or "smoke". | |||
| Turkish | tütün | ||
| The Turkish word "tütün" comes from the Arabic word "dukhkhān", meaning "smoke", and is also related to the Persian word "tutun". | |||
| Xhosa | icuba | ||
| Yiddish | טאַביק | ||
| The Yiddish word “טאַביק” (tobacco) is derived from the Taino word “tabaco,” meaning “holy herb.” | |||
| Zulu | ugwayi | ||
| The Zulu word "ugwayi" also signifies "a plant, usually of medicinal value." | |||
| Assamese | ধঁপাত | ||
| Aymara | tabaco ukata | ||
| Bhojpuri | तंबाकू के इस्तेमाल कइल जाला | ||
| Dhivehi | ދުންފަތެވެ | ||
| Dogri | तम्बाकू | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tabako | ||
| Guarani | tabaco rehegua | ||
| Ilocano | tabako | ||
| Krio | tabak we dɛn kin yuz fɔ smok | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | تووتن | ||
| Maithili | तम्बाकू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯝꯕꯥ ꯉꯃꯗꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | zuk leh hmuam | ||
| Oromo | tamboo xuuxuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ତମାଖୁ | ||
| Quechua | tabaco | ||
| Sanskrit | तम्बाकू | ||
| Tatar | тәмәке | ||
| Tigrinya | ትምባኾ | ||
| Tsonga | fole | ||