How to say "inhale" in Japanese

• 吸うすうJLPT N5approx.Common
  godan verb, transitive verbThe everyday, all-purpose verb: it covers simply breathing in, and it is also the verb for smoking a cigarette. For plain 'inhale' in most contexts this is the safe choice.
  教室きょうしつでどうどうとタバコをすう高校生こうこうせいたちとそれを注意ちゅういできない教師きょうしたちは罰ばつを受うけることになります。↗

  High school students who flagrantly smoke in class and the teachers who can't caution them will be punished.
• 吸い込むすいこむCommon
  godan verb, transitive verbCovers 'inhale' too, but adds the image of drawing something in: often a deep or deliberate breath, and it also means 'suck up' and 'soak up'. Use it when the intake is emphatic.
  スポンジは水みずを吸い込すいこむ。↗

  A sponge absorbs water.

Use 「吸う」 for plain breathing in and for smoking; use 「吸い込む」 when you want the nuance of drawing air or something else in, as in a deep breath or sucking something up.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 吸うすうto breathe in
• 吸い込むすいこむto inhale