烟

• Pinyin: yān
• Hanzi breakdown: 烟 = 火 (fire) + 因 (cause, phonetic), meaning smoke produced by fire

Meaning

Smoke; cigarette; tobacco. Visible vapour from burning, or the product itself.

Has two main uses: (1) smoke as a substance — 烟雾 (smoke/smog), 冒烟 (emit smoke), 油烟 (cooking fumes); (2) cigarettes or tobacco — 抽烟 (smoke a cigarette), 香烟 (cigarette), 戒烟 (quit smoking), 烟灰 (ash). In poetic language, 烟 can describe mist or haze over water.

Examples

1. 这里是公共场所，不能抽烟。 This is a public place; smoking is not allowed.
2. 厨房里全是烟，快开窗户。 The kitchen is full of smoke; open the window quickly.
3. 他已经戒烟三年了。 He has already quit smoking for three years.

Usage Guide

Context: health, everyday, public spaces

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请问这里可以抽烟吗？(Excuse me, can I smoke here?)
• 远处有烟，可能着火了。(There's smoke in the distance; there might be a fire.)

Don't Say

• 我要去买烟雾。(Don't use 烟雾 when buying cigarettes — 烟雾 means 'smoke' or 'smog'. Say 我要去买烟 or 买香烟.)

Origin & History

烟 combines 火 (fire) with 因 (cause, phonetic). Smoke is the visible result caused by fire, directly reflecting the character's composition.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal