तंबाकू (tambaakoo)

noun A single-sense noun meaning 'tobacco', the plant and the product made from it.
Sense 1 : tobacco
noun, feminine
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will hear तंबाकू (tambaakoo) most often in the context of पान (paan) shops, where it is mixed into paan or sold loose as खैनी (khainii) ingredients -- the word itself is neutral, but the culture around it (chewing tobacco, rolled cigarettes called बीड़ी (biidii)) carries strong health-warning associations in modern Indian public life, so you will also see it stamped on cigarette packets and government ads.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes guess the gender as masculine by analogy with other substance nouns, but तंबाकू (tambaakoo) is feminine -- सही तंबाकू (sahii tambaakoo) not सही तंबाकू (masculine agreement). 2) Also spelled तमाकू (tamaakoo) or तम्बाकू (tambaakoo) with a slightly different nasalization/spelling; all are heard in everyday speech.
Sample Sentences:
तंबाकू खाना सेहत के लिए बहुत हानिकारक है। Consuming tobacco is very harmful for health.
(tambaakoo khaanaa sehat ke lie bahut haanikaarak hai।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
पान वाले ने पत्ते पर थोड़ी तंबाकू डाल दी। The paan seller put a bit of tobacco on the leaf.
(paan vaale ne patte par thodii tambaakoo daal dii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
वह रोज़ रात को सोने से पहले तंबाकू चबाता है। He chews tobacco every night before sleeping.
(vah roz raat ko sone se pahle tambaakoo chabaataa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
सरकार ने तंबाकू उत्पादों पर सख्त चेतावनी छापने का आदेश दिया है। The government has ordered strict warnings to be printed on tobacco products.
(sarkaar ne tambaakoo utpaadon par sakht chetaavnii chhaapne kaa aadesh diyaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अगर तुम तंबाकू छोड़ दो, तो तुम्हारी सेहत सुधर जाएगी। If you give up tobacco, your health will improve.
(agar tum tambaakoo chhod do, to tumhaarii sehat sudhar jaaegii।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
कृपया दुकान के अंदर तंबाकू का सेवन न करें। Please do not consume tobacco inside the shop.
(kripyaa dukaan ke andar tambaakoo kaa sevan n karen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
अगर उसने बचपन में तंबाकू न चखा होता, तो शायद वह इसका आदी न होता। If he had not tasted tobacco in childhood, he probably wouldn't have become addicted to it.
(agar usne bachpan men tambaakoo n chakhaa hotaa, to shaayad vah iskaa aadii n hotaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Perfective -- Voice: Active
इस दुकान में तंबाकू और सिगरेट दोनों बेचे जाते हैं। Both tobacco and cigarettes are sold in this shop.
(is dukaan men tambaakoo aur sigret donon beche jaate hain।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
डॉक्टर ने कहा कि तंबाकू का सेवन कैंसर का बड़ा कारण बन सकता है। The doctor said that tobacco consumption can be a major cause of cancer.
(doktar ne kahaa ki tambaakoo kaa sevan kainsar kaa badaa kaaran ban saktaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
गाँव में बूढ़े लोग अक्सर हुक्के में तंबाकू भरकर पीते थे। In the village, old men would often fill tobacco in the hookah and smoke it.
(gaanv men boodhe log aksar hukke men tambaakoo bharkar piite the।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.f.direct): तंबाकू (tambaakoo)
(sg.f.oblique): तंबाकू (tambaakoo)
(pl.f.direct): तंबाकूएँ (tambaakooen)
(pl.f.oblique): तंबाकूओं (tambaakooon)