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I am translating "pack of cigarettes" and "carton of cigarettes" into Spanish.

  • pack of cigarettes

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  • carton of cigarettes

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Here is what I already have:

  • pack of cigarettes:

    • cajetilla de cigarrillos
    • cajita de cigarrillos

  • carton of cigarettes

    • cartón de tabaco
    • caja de cigarrillos
    • paquete de cigarrillos
    • paquete de tabaco

Is that correct?

If there are more ways how to express one thing, what is the difference between them? Do some expressions means just the paper box and some other the paper box with prefferebly full amount of cigarettes?

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  • 1
    By the way, I have never heard someone in English refer to a carton of cigarettes, that just sounds strange to me.
    – BladorthinTheGrey
    Oct 20, 2016 at 5:55
  • As a native English speaker, I’d understand a ‘carton of cigarettes’ to refer to a multi-pack.
    – Traveller
    Jan 16, 2020 at 22:19

3 Answers 3

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The following applies at least in Spain, Colombia and Argentina (according to the comments). For a pack of cigarettes we say:

For a carton of cigarettes we say:

For no specific reason, "un cartón de cigarrillos" does not sound natural to me. I suppose it is because "cartón" implies a big amount and "cigarrillos" is a diminutive, and it is kind of a contradiction to have those two words together. But it is confirmed to be used.

All of this expressions represent both the box/boxes and the content (the cigarettes).

Following with the comments, some countries use cajetilla rather than paquete (Mexico, Chile), and Argentina seems to have some other options of their own: atado (pack) and box (cardboard packs).

For the differences between cigarrillos and cigarros, see this other question.

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  • All of this examples are used exactly the same in Colombia and we do use "un cartón de cigarrillos" also....but you better quit smoking :-)
    – DGaleano
    Oct 19, 2016 at 13:23
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    @DGaleano just for the record, I don't smoke, so I agree with you, everybody please quit smoking! :-)
    – Charlie
    Oct 19, 2016 at 13:25
  • In Argentina, a carton of cigarettes is called a cartón de cigarrillos. A pack of cigarettes is properly called an atado de cigarrillos, although paquete is becoming more common nowadays. If the pack is made of cardboard instead of paper, it is calles a box, as in English.
    – JMVanPelt
    Oct 20, 2016 at 3:20
  • In Mexico a pack would be - Una cajetilla de cigarros
    – spiral
    Oct 20, 2016 at 12:01
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    Chile: cajetilla y cartón. Cigarros and cigarrillos are used more or less indistinctly (maybe cigarros is more informal).
    – Rafael
    Oct 20, 2016 at 13:28
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When I ask for a paquete in Guanajuato (Mexico) they head for the storeroom to get a carton. Apparently a pack here is cajetillo

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This applies to Mexico:

When buying it is always assumed you want a pack of cigarettes.

- Good morning, how can I help you?
- A pack of cigarettes, please.

Translates to:

- Buenos días, ¿qué se le ofrece?
- Unos cigarros.

Literal translation will be "un paquete de cigarros" (where paquete is spanish for pack) and that means around 20 packs of cigarettes.

En cambio:

- ¿Cuánto has estado fumando?
- Una caja* diario. (one pack a day).

*caja, cajetilla.

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