Translation guide
How to express 'get drunk' in Japanese, covering the process of becoming intoxicated, being drunk, and related states.
To express the process of becoming drunk from alcohol.
The most common and general verb for 'get drunk'. It covers the entire process from starting to feel the effects to being fully intoxicated.
I drank too much yesterday and got really drunk.
彼はすぐに酔う。
He gets drunk easily.
A more emphatic or colloquial way to say 'get drunk', often implying a noticeable level of intoxication. Can be used as a verb or noun (酔っ払い - drunkard).
彼は毎晩酔っ払っている。
He gets drunk every night.
Literally 'get drunk on alcohol'. More specific than 酔う alone, emphasizing the substance.
酒に酔って、記憶をなくした。
I got drunk and blacked out.
A slangy, euphemistic way to say 'get drunk', literally meaning 'to be completed'. Often used in casual conversation.
もうすっかり出来上がっちゃったよ。
I'm already completely drunk.
To describe the state of being intoxicated.
The standard way to say 'I am drunk' or 'he is drunk'. Uses the te-iru form of 酔う to indicate a state.
彼はかなり酔っている。
He is quite drunk.
すみません、ちょっと酔っています。
Sorry, I'm a little drunk.
Emphatic state of being drunk, often with a negative or humorous connotation.
あいつ、完全に酔っ払ってるな。
That guy is totally drunk.
Means 'dead drunk' or 'blind drunk'. A more formal or literary term for extreme intoxication.
To express being carried away or intoxicated by a non-alcoholic atmosphere, such as a party or excitement.
Literally 'get drunk on the atmosphere'. Used when someone is swept up in the mood of a place or event.
彼はライブの雰囲気に酔っていた。
He was drunk on the atmosphere of the concert.
Similar to 雰囲気に酔う, but more about one's own mood or feeling. Can imply self-indulgence.
成功の気分に酔っている。
He is drunk on his success.
To express becoming sick from motion, which uses the same verb 酔う.
General term for motion sickness. 乗り物 (vehicle) + 酔い (sickness).
私はすぐに乗り物酔いする。
I get motion sickness easily.
Specifically carsickness.
後ろの席だと車酔いしやすい。
I tend to get carsick in the back seat.
Specifically seasickness.
船酔いして気持ち悪い。
I got seasick and feel nauseous.
In English, 'drunk' can be a noun (a drunk person). In Japanese, use 酔っ払い (よっぱらい) for a drunkard, but it can be derogatory. To describe someone who is drunk, use 酔っている人 (よっているひと).
Japanese has many nuanced terms for stages of intoxication: ほろ酔い (slightly tipsy), 酔っ払い (drunk), 泥酔 (dead drunk). Use 酔う for the general process.
彼は泥酔して道で寝ていた。
He was dead drunk and sleeping on the street.