Translation guide
The adverb 'soundly' has two main uses: describing deep, uninterrupted sleep, and describing a thorough defeat or beating. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for each meaning.
Expressing that someone is sleeping deeply, peacefully, or without waking.
The most common and natural way to say 'sleep soundly'. ぐっすり is an onomatopoeia for sleeping deeply and peacefully.
昨夜はぐっすり眠れました。
I slept soundly last night.
赤ちゃんがぐっすり眠っている。
The baby is sleeping soundly.
Expressing that someone was defeated decisively, beaten badly, or thrashed.
A strong, idiomatic phrase meaning 'to defeat soundly' or 'to beat mercilessly'. Literally 'to beat until no skin remains'. Used in sports, arguments, etc.
彼らは敵を完膚なきまでに打ち負かした。
They soundly defeated the enemy.
A slightly more formal or written term meaning 'deep sleep'. Often used in compounds like 熟睡感 (feeling of having slept deeply).
熟睡して疲れが取れた。
I slept soundly and recovered from fatigue.
Slang for 'sleeping like a log', implying very deep, almost unconscious sleep. Casual and expressive.
昨日は爆睡して、何も聞こえなかった。
I slept so soundly yesterday that I didn't hear anything.
Means 'to beat thoroughly' or 'to thrash'. 徹底的に adds the nuance of doing something completely and thoroughly. More casual than 完膚なきまでに.
彼は相手を徹底的にやっつけた。
He soundly beat his opponent.
Literally 'win by a large margin'. Used in sports or competitions to indicate a sound victory.
我がチームは大差で勝った。
Our team won soundly.
Slang for 'to lose badly' or 'to be soundly defeated'. From the loser's perspective. ボロ means 'rags' or 'tatters'.
昨日の試合でボロ負けした。
We were soundly beaten in yesterday's game.