Translation guide
How to express getting extremely drunk in Japanese, from casual to formal.
To become very intoxicated, to the point of losing control or consciousness.
Literally 'mud-drunk', this is the most common and natural way to say 'get dead drunk'. It implies being so drunk you're like mud—unable to function properly.
昨夜は泥酔して記憶がない。
I got dead drunk last night and have no memory.
彼はパーティーで泥酔していた。
He was dead drunk at the party.
A very common colloquial expression meaning 'drunk to the point of slurring/stumbling'. 'ベロベロ' is onomatopoeic for tongue-tied or sloppy drunk.
昨日はベロベロに酔って大変だった。
I got dead drunk yesterday and it was rough.
Another colloquial phrase meaning 'completely wasted'. 'ぐでんぐでん' suggests being so drunk you're limp and helpless.
彼はぐでんぐでんに酔って動けなくなった。
He got dead drunk and couldn't move.
Means 'to drink oneself into a stupor' or 'to pass out from drinking'. Focuses on the result of being incapacitated.
Slangy, somewhat dated but still used, meaning 'dead drunk' or 'plastered'.
へべれけに酔って道で寝てしまった。
I got dead drunk and fell asleep on the street.
Specifically getting so drunk that you lose memory or consciousness.
Literally 'drink until you lose your memory'. A clear, natural way to express drinking to blackout.
彼は記憶をなくすまで飲んだ。
He drank until he blacked out.
Do not translate 'dead drunk' literally as 死ぬほど酔う (shinu hodo you, 'drunk to death'). While understandable, it sounds overly dramatic or literal and is not the natural way to express this concept. Use 泥酔する or ベロベロに酔う instead.
泥酔する is the standard, slightly formal term suitable for most situations. ベロベロに酔う is very casual and vivid, often used among friends. ぐでんぐでんに酔う is also casual but emphasizes helplessness. In formal writing or news, stick to 泥酔.
彼は毎晩酔いつぶれている。
He gets dead drunk every night.
Means 'drink until you collapse/pass out'. Very common in casual speech.
昨日はつぶれるまで飲んじゃった。
I drank until I passed out yesterday.