rauchen
to smoke
To inhale and exhale the smoke from tobacco or other substances, usually in the form of cigarettes, cigars, or pipes.
EXAMPLE
Er hat vor einem Jahr aufgehört zu rauchen.
He stopped smoking a year ago.
rauchen
to smoke
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Meanings
rauchen
to smoke
To emit or give off smoke or steam, as with a fire or a chimney.
EXAMPLE
Der Schornstein der alten Fabrik raucht nicht mehr.
The chimney of the old factory no longer smokes.
der Kopf raucht
one's head is smoking
(Colloquial) To have to exert oneself mentally very hard or think intensely.
EXAMPLE
Nach der langen Prüfung hat mir der Kopf geraucht.
After the long exam, my head was smoking.
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'rauchen' (to smoke) is directly connected to the noun 'der Rauch' (smoke). Anything that produces smoke or has to do with smoke can be described with this verb.
EXAMPLE
Das Lagerfeuer rauchte stark, weil das Holz nass war.
The campfire smoked heavily because the wood was wet.
Sentence structure
You can use 'rauchen' (to smoke) with an accusative object to say what someone smokes. But you can also use it without an object to describe the general habit.
EXAMPLE
Er raucht eine Zigarre nach dem Abendessen.
He smokes a cigar after dinner.
Context clue
If the subject of the sentence is not a person but an object (e.g., a chimney, a fire, an engine), 'rauchen' (to smoke) almost always means that this object is giving off smoke.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Unfall rauchte der Motor des Autos.
After the accident, the car's engine was smoking.
Fixed expression
The expression 'jemandem raucht der Kopf' (someone's head is smoking) uses a dative construction. The person who is exerting themselves is in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Nach sechs Stunden intensiver Arbeit rauchte mir der Kopf.
After six hours of intense work, my head was smoking.
Compare with
rauchen vs kiffen
to smoke weed
Rauchen and kiffen can both refer to consuming cannabis by inhaling it. Rauchen is the neutral, broader verb and can be used with the substance being smoked; kiffen is colloquial and refers specifically to cannabis. Rauchen is usually suitable in neutral texts, while kiffen can also be used in casual conversation.
rauchen
Tom raucht Cannabis, obwohl er sonst keine Zigaretten raucht.
Tom smokes cannabis, although he otherwise does not smoke cigarettes.
kiffen
Tom kifft mit Freunden am See, obwohl er sonst keine Zigaretten raucht.
Tom smokes weed with friends by the lake, although he otherwise does not smoke cigarettes.
In real life
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