吸う
すう · suu (also spelled su)
To smoke, to breathe in, to inhale
- to suck, to sip, to slurp
- to absorb, to soak up
- to kiss
Other ways to say “to smoke” in Japanese →
flat · what is pitch accent?
How it’s used
Everyday verb for inhaling, sipping, or absorbing; used for smoking, drinking through a straw, or a sponge soaking up liquid.
Don't confuse with 飲む (nomu, to drink); 吸う is for sipping through a straw or inhaling, not for drinking from a cup.
Example sentences
彼は毎日タバコを吸う。
He smokes cigarettes every day.
Nihoner
ストローでジュースを吸う。
I suck juice through a straw.
Nihoner
Say it out loud
Press the microphone and say 吸う (すう)
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Kanji in this word
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Conjugation
| Polite (ます形) | 吸いますすいます |
| Polite negative (ません) | 吸いませんすいません |
| Polite past (ました) | 吸いましたすいました |
| Polite past negative (ませんでした) | 吸いませんでしたすいませんでした |
| Let us ~ (ましょう) | 吸いましょうすいましょう |
| Masu-stem (連用形) | 吸いすい |
| Want to ~ (たい形) | 吸いたいすいたい |
| While ~ing (ながら) | 吸いながらすいながら |
| Te-form (て形) | 吸ってすって |
| Plain past (た形) | 吸ったすった |
| Tara-conditional (たら形) | 吸ったらすったら |
| Progressive (ている形) | 吸っているすっている |
| Plain negative (ない形) | 吸わないすわない |
| Plain past negative (なかった形) | 吸わなかったすわなかった |
| Negative te-form (なくて) | 吸わなくてすわなくて |
| Potential (可能形) | 吸えるすえる |
| Ba-conditional (条件形) | 吸えばすえば |
| Imperative (命令形) | 吸えすえ |
| Volitional (意向形) | 吸おうすおう |
| Passive (受身形) | 吸われるすわれる |
| Causative (使役形) | 吸わせるすわせる |
| Causative-passive (使役受身形) | 吸わされるすわされる |
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Words that share a kanji
Questions
What does 吸う mean?
To smoke, to breathe in, to inhale. It can also mean: to suck, to sip, to slurp; to absorb, to soak up; to kiss.
How do you pronounce 吸う?
すう (suu). Pitch accent: heiban — flat. Press Listen above to hear it.
What JLPT level is 吸う?
JLPT N3 — intermediate. See the JLPT N3 guide.
How do I remember 吸う?
Say it out loud with an example sentence, test yourself above, then save it to your deck: Nihoner brings it back just before you would forget it (spaced repetition).
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