How to say " Do you smoke cigarettes"

Question

Hello Do you smoke cigarettes? Do you drink alcohol?

THanks!

Welcome to the forum , we want to help you so fill out your profile If you have a problem PM a mod Bienvenido al foro. Queremos ayudarle, entonces hay que llenar su perfil. Si hay un problema, envíe un mensaje personal (PM) - ray76, Aug 14, 2016

Answer 1

I'm guessing the person is asking for a direct translation. Well, in that case, I think some nuances should be considered first.

1. Do you smoke cigarettes? (= ¿Fumas cigarros?)
   This is perhaps a long way to ask if someone smokes. In my country we simply say ¿fumas? and that's the end of the story.
   No further implications exist by just asking the latter.

2. Do you drink alcohol? (= ¿Bebes alcohol?)
   This is another long way to ask this, we just simply ask ¿bebes? — but also we can say ¿tomas? and we're not implying tomas like the verb take or grab something.

Regionally, you may find lots of ways of asking this. Some with implicit implications perhaps.

Ah so it is the same as English. Do you drink alcohol is a bit language school. The person you ask can always clarify. In England if you visit someone Do you want a drink can mean tea or beer or wine . Depends on circumstances. - Mardle, Aug 12, 2016

Answer 2

Welcome to the forum. Can you add your level of English and Spanish to your profile? It is to help anyone answering or assessing an answer. I have assumed your English is better than your Spanish.

If English is not your first language it helps if you put what is. Obviously someone whose first language is French or Italian is used to a similar structure in their own language whereas people with Russian or Arabic are mastering a new alphabet.

Who do you want to ask and in what circumstances? You would use to tu, to a friend or young person but usted [3rd person] if you wanted to be more formal and vosotros or ustedes if to a group.

There are lots of informal words for cigarettes but they can be regional.

I would probably say ¿Tomas alcohol? Some places would use beber

and ¿Fumas cigarillos?

There is a translation function that helps. Edit your post to add whether you are writing a set of questions or speaking to someone and where there are differences between Mexico, Argentina and Spain.

In the UK if you asked someone - Do you drink? It would be implied that you meant alcoholic drinks. Similarly Do you smoke ? would imply legally purchased cigarettes though now vaping is popular.