1.
to inhale, to breathe in
To draw air or other gases into the lungs.
深く息を吸ってください。
Please take a deep breath.
山の新鮮な空気を吸った。
I breathed in the fresh mountain air.
鼻から息を吸って、口から吐いてください。
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
2.
to smoke
To draw smoke from a cigarette into the mouth or lungs.
タバコ}を{吸いますか。
Do you smoke?
ここは禁煙なのでタバコ}は{吸えません。
This is a non-smoking area, so you can't smoke here.
彼は一日に一箱タバコ}を{吸う。
He smokes a pack of cigarettes a day.
3.
to suck, to sip
To draw liquid into the mouth, or for something to absorb liquid.
蚊に血を吸われた。
A mosquito sucked my blood.
スポンジが水を吸った。
The sponge absorbed the water.
赤ちゃんが指を吸っている。
The baby is sucking its finger.
TRANSITIVITY: 他動詞 (transitive). Intransitive pair: 吸われる (passive). Pattern: Xを吸う (to inhale/suck X).
ASPECT: ている indicates habitual action. タバコを吸っている can mean 'smokes (habitually)' or 'is smoking.'
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 息を吸う (to inhale, breathe in)
- タバコ}を{吸う (to smoke)
- 空気を吸う (to breathe air)
- 血を吸う (to suck blood)
CONTRAST:
- 吸う - to inhale/suck in
- 吐く - to exhale/spit out
NOTE: タバコ}を{吸う is the standard expression for 'to smoke.'
Related Words
Antonym:
吐く (to exhale)