How do you say Cigarette in German?

Whether it’s a quick smoke break, a long-standing habit, or just something someone lights nervously in a film - Germans call it a Zigarette. It’s a word that smells of cafes, street corners, and drama.

The noun Zigarette means cigarette, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll see it in casual speech, public health campaigns, and old-school cinema.

It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Zigarette.

Pronunciation

Zigarette is pronounced [tsi-ga-RET-tuh].

• Z is pronounced “ts,”
• The “i” is short and light,
• Stress is on the third syllable: tsi-ga-RET-te

The word has a sharp rhythm - much like the habit it describes.

Example sentences:

• Ich gehe kurz raus, eine Zigarette rauchen.I’m stepping outside to smoke a cigarette.
• Hast du eine Zigarette für mich?Do you have a cigarette for me?

Nuance and usage tips

Zigarette is a borrowing from French cigarette, and has a fairly narrow range of meanings - but strong cultural weight.

1. Literal cigarette
   • Zigarettenpause - smoke break
   • Zigarettenautomat - cigarette vending machine (still common in Germany)
   • Zigarettenschachtel - pack of cigarettes
2. Figurative / cultural associations
   • sich eine Zigarette gönnen - to treat yourself to a cigarette
   • Zigarette danach - “the cigarette after” (sexual innuendo, often joked about)
   • Kettenraucher - chain smoker
3. Health context
   • Zigarettenkonsum - cigarette consumption
   • Raucherentwöhnung - smoking cessation (also expressed as Tabakentwöhnung)
   • Nikotinabhängigkeit - nicotine addiction

Nichtraucher - non-smoker
Rauchverbot - smoking ban