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.
- Literal cigarette
- Zigarettenpause – smoke break
- Zigarettenautomat – cigarette vending machine (still common in Germany)
- Zigarettenschachtel – pack of cigarettes
- 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
- Health context
- Zigarettenkonsum – cigarette consumption
- Zigarettenentwöhnung – cigarette cessation
- Nikotinabhängigkeit – nicotine addiction
Its antonym might be Nichtraucher (non-smoker) or Rauchverbot (smoking ban).
Grammatical case examples:
- Nominative:
Die Zigarette glühte in der Dunkelheit.
The cigarette glowed in the darkness. - Accusative:
Er zündete die Zigarette mit zitternden Händen an.
He lit the cigarette with trembling hands. - Dative:
Mit der Zigarette kam die Ruhe zurück.
With the cigarette, the calm returned. - Genitive:
Wegen der Zigarette wurde er vom Hausmeister gerügt.
Because of the cigarette, he was scolded by the janitor.
Feminine case pattern: die, die, der, der
Word variations and language tidbits
Variation Station:
- Kippe – slang for cigarette (used a lot in Germany)
- Fluppe – very casual/slangy term for cigarette
- Zigarettenkippe – cigarette butt
- Selbstgedrehte – hand-rolled cigarette
- E-Zigarette – e-cigarette
- Zigarre – cigar
Fun idiomatic note:
You might hear someone say:
„Ich brauche erst mal 'ne Kippe.“
“I just need a cigarette first.”
This usually means: give me a second to calm down, focus, or decompress.
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Zigarette
🎥 Learn Zigarette and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/
Alternate translations note:
For cigars, use Zigarre. For electronic alternatives, E-Zigarette is common. And if you want to sound super German on the street, just ask:
„Haste 'ne Kippe?“
(“Got a smoke?”)
Ready for more German words of the day? Do you know what Zimmer means? How about Zufall? Find out!