Szívni

Szívni is a Hungarian verb with several related senses that center on drawing something through the mouth or lungs. The most common usage describes smoking: to inhale smoke from a cigarette, cigar, pipe, or vaping device. In everyday speech one can say, for example, “szívni egy cigarettát” or “szívni e-cigarettát.” The term is informal and widely used alongside the more formal dohányozni, which means to smoke.

Beyond smoking, szívni also covers the action of drawing air or liquids by suction. For instance, one can “szívni levegőt” (to inhale air) or “szívni egy cukorkát” (to suck on a candy). It can also describe drawing a liquid through a straw or tube, as in “szívni folyadékot egy csőből.” The verb thus encompasses both inhalation and sucking actions, whether with air, liquids, or vapors.

In contemporary Hungarian, szívni is common in casual speech to refer to smoking or vaping, while more formal or clinical language may prefer dohányzás or inhalation. The word also appears in various phrases describing manner or intensity of drawing, such as short puffs or deep inhalations.

Health and regulation: Smoking is associated with well-documented health risks, including cancer and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. In Hungary, there are regulations restricting smoking in many indoor public spaces, warnings on tobacco packaging, and age limits on purchase. Vaping products are subject to related health and regulatory considerations as well.

See also: dohányzás, egészségre gyakorolt hatások, Hungarian tobacco regulations.