Learning how to express common words in another language is a useful and fun way to expand your communication skills. French, known for its rich and expressive vocabulary, offers many ways to say everyday terms. For example, how would you say “drunk” in French? Understanding these terms can be helpful in many situations, whether you’re traveling, learning the language, or just exploring French culture.
In this article, we will uncover different ways to say “drunk” in French. You’ll learn the correct pronunciations, their meanings, and how to use them in sentences. By the end, you’ll feel more confident adding these words to your vocabulary.
Ways to Say “Drunk” in French
There are many ways to say “drunk” in French, depending on the situation and how formal or informal you want to be. Some phrases are playful, while others are straightforward. Learning these expressions will help you understand casual conversations, jokes, or cultural references when speaking with French speakers. Below are some of the most common ways to say “drunk” in French.
1. Ivre
Pronunciation: Eevr
Meaning: Drunk (formal or neutral term).
In a Sentence:
- Elle est ivre après deux verres de vin. (She is drunk after two glasses of wine.)
- Il était ivre à la fête hier soir. (He was drunk at the party last night.)
2. Bourré
Pronunciation: Boo-ray
Meaning: Wasted (informal).
In a Sentence:
- Il était complètement bourré après la soirée. (He was completely wasted after the party.)
- On va pas se bourrer ce soir, juste un verre. (We’re not getting wasted tonight, just one drink.)
3. Éméché
Pronunciation: Ay-may-shay
Meaning: Tipsy or slightly drunk.
In a Sentence:
- Je suis juste un peu éméché, rien de grave. (I’m just a little tipsy, nothing serious.)
- Après un verre de champagne, elle était déjà éméchée. (After one glass of champagne, she was already tipsy.)
4. Pompette
Pronunciation: Pom-pet
Meaning: Slightly drunk or tipsy (playful term).
In a Sentence:
- Elle était pompette après deux cocktails. (She was tipsy after two cocktails.)
- On devient pompette rapidement avec ce vin. (We get tipsy quickly with this wine.)
5. Saoul
Pronunciation: Soo
Meaning: Drunk (neutral or informal).
In a Sentence:
- Il est complètement saoul après ce dîner. (He is completely drunk after this dinner.)
- Elle ne voulait pas être saoule lors du mariage. (She didn’t want to be drunk at the wedding.)
6. Rond
Pronunciation: Rhon
Meaning: Drunk (slang).
In a Sentence:
- Il est rond, il faut qu’il rentre chez lui. (He’s drunk; he needs to go home.)
- Après trois bières, il était déjà rond. (After three beers, he was already drunk.)
7. En état d’ébriété
Pronunciation: On ay-tah day-bree-ay-tay
Meaning: Intoxicated (formal).
In a Sentence:
- Il a été arrêté en état d’ébriété au volant. (He was arrested for driving intoxicated.)
- Elle a admis être en état d’ébriété ce soir-là. (She admitted to being intoxicated that night.)
8. Déchiré
Pronunciation: Day-shee-ray
Meaning: Smashed or wasted (slang).
In a Sentence:
- Il était complètement déchiré après cette fête. (He was completely smashed after that party.)
- Ne te déchire pas ce soir, demain on travaille ! (Don’t get smashed tonight; we work tomorrow!)
9. Gris
Pronunciation: Gree
Meaning: Slightly drunk or tipsy.
In a Sentence:
- Après un verre de vin, il se sentait déjà gris. (After one glass of wine, he already felt tipsy.)
- Ils étaient un peu gris après le dîner. (They were a little tipsy after dinner.)
10. Beurré
Pronunciation: Buh-ray
Meaning: Wasted (informal).
In a Sentence:
- Il était beurré comme jamais après cette soirée. (He was wasted like never before after that party.)
- Arrête de boire, tu vas finir beurré. (Stop drinking; you’ll end up wasted.)
11. Pété
Pronunciation: Pay-tay
Meaning: Hammered or smashed (slang).
In a Sentence:
- Il était pété après les shots de tequila. (He was hammered after the tequila shots.)
- Ils sont rentrés pétés de la boîte de nuit. (They came home smashed from the nightclub.)
12. Arrosé
Pronunciation: Ah-roh-zay
Meaning: Slightly drunk, usually referring to a boozy event.
In a Sentence:
- C’était une soirée bien arrosée. (It was quite a boozy evening.)
- Les fêtes arrosées peuvent être dangereuses. (Boozy parties can be dangerous.)
13. Plein
Pronunciation: Plen
Meaning: Drunk (casual).
In a Sentence:
- Il est plein comme une barrique. (He’s as drunk as a barrel.)
- Après trop de champagne, elle était pleine. (After too much champagne, she was drunk.)
14. Chiffonné
Pronunciation: Shee-foh-nay
Meaning: Drunk (slang, lighthearted).
In a Sentence:
- Tu étais chiffonné hier soir ! (You were drunk last night!)
- Il devient chiffonné avec deux verres de vin. (He gets drunk with two glasses of wine.)
15. Torché
Pronunciation: Tor-shay
Meaning: Wasted or smashed (informal).
In a Sentence:
- Il est rentré torché après la fête. (He came home smashed after the party.)
- Ne bois pas trop, tu seras torché rapidement. (Don’t drink too much; you’ll get smashed quickly.)
16. Misère
Pronunciation: Mee-zehr
Meaning: Extremely drunk, in a sorry state (slang).
In a Sentence:
- Il était misère après cette soirée folle. (He was extremely drunk after that crazy party.)
- Ce vin fort te met vite en misère. (This strong wine gets you extremely drunk quickly.)
17. Chargé
Pronunciation: Shar-jay
Meaning: Drunk or tipsy (slang).
In a Sentence:
- Elle était un peu chargée après deux cocktails. (She was a little drunk after two cocktails.)
- Ils deviennent chargés avec ce vin rouge. (They get drunk with this red wine.)
18. Mal
Pronunciation: Mahl
Meaning: Drunk to the point of feeling sick.
In a Sentence:
- Il avait trop bu et se sentait mal. (He had drunk too much and felt sick.)
- Ne bois pas à ce point, tu finiras mal. (Don’t drink to that extent; you’ll feel sick.)
19. Barge
Pronunciation: Barzh
Meaning: Hammered or completely out of it (slang).
In a Sentence:
- Il était complètement barge après la fête. (He was completely hammered after the party.)
- Cette soirée l’a rendu barge. (That party made him completely out of it.)
20. Enivré
Pronunciation: Eh-nee-vray
Meaning: Intoxicated or under the influence.
In a Sentence:
- Il était enivré par le champagne. (He was intoxicated by the champagne.)
- Les invités semblaient enivrés après le dîner. (The guests seemed intoxicated after dinner.)
21. Fait
Pronunciation: Fay
Meaning: Slang for drunk or wasted.
In a Sentence:
- Il était fait après quelques bières. (He was wasted after a few beers.)
- Elle a dit qu’elle se sentait faite après ce verre. (She said she felt wasted after that drink.)
22. Abattu
Pronunciation: Ah-bah-too
Meaning: Extremely drunk and exhausted (slang).
In a Sentence:
- Après cette fête, il était abattu. (After that party, he was extremely drunk and exhausted.)
- Ces longues soirées me laissent abattu. (These long nights leave me extremely drunk.)
23. Ruiné
Pronunciation: Roo-ee-nay
Meaning: Drunk and out of control.
In a Sentence:
- Il était ruiné après les cocktails gratuits. (He was drunk and out of control after the free cocktails.)
- La soirée l’a complètement ruiné. (The party left him completely drunk and out of control.)
24. Hébété
Pronunciation: Ay-bay-tay
Meaning: Stunned or out of it due to alcohol.
In a Sentence:
- Il avait l’air hébété après trop de vin. (He looked stunned after too much wine.)
- La bière l’a rapidement hébété. (The beer quickly left him out of it.)
25. Pochard
Pronunciation: Poh-shar
Meaning: Drunkard or someone who is drunk (slightly pejorative).
In a Sentence:
- Ce vieux pochard est toujours au bar. (That old drunkard is always at the bar.)
- Ne deviens pas un pochard à force de boire. (Don’t become a drunkard by drinking too much.)
Other Ways to Say “Drunk” in French
Below is a table with additional expressions to say “drunk” in French. These are alternatives to the phrases mentioned earlier, each with its pronunciation, meaning, and example sentences to help you understand their usage.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Avoir un coup dans le nez | Ah-vwahr uhn koo dan luh nay | To be tipsy (informal) | Il a un coup dans le nez après une bière. (He’s tipsy after one beer.) |
| Être dans les vapes | Eh-truh dan lay vahp | To be dazed (from alcohol) | Après la fête, il était dans les vapes. (After the party, he was dazed.) |
| Se prendre une cuite | Suh prahn-druh ewn kweet | To get very drunk (informal) | On s’est pris une cuite hier soir. (We got very drunk last night.) |
| Avoir trop bu | Ah-vwahr troh bew | To have drunk too much | Il a trop bu et ne peut pas conduire. (He drank too much and can’t drive.) |
| Être bourré comme un coing | Eh-truh boo-ray kom uhn kwah | To be totally wasted | Elle était bourrée comme un coing après la fête. (She was totally wasted after the party.) |
| Ne plus tenir debout | Nuh plew tuh-neer duh-boo | To not be able to stand | Après tout ce vin, il ne tient plus debout. (After all that wine, he can’t stand anymore.) |
| Être au bout du rouleau | Eh-truh oh boo dew roo-loh | To be at one’s limit (drunk) | Il était au bout du rouleau après cette soirée. (He was at his limit after that night.) |
| Avoir la tête qui tourne | Ah-vwahr lah tet kee toorn | To feel dizzy (from alcohol) | Après trois verres, elle a la tête qui tourne. (After three drinks, she feels dizzy.) |
| Être fracassé | Eh-truh frah-kah-say | To be smashed (slang) | Il était fracassé après la boîte de nuit. (He was smashed after the nightclub.) |
| Se saouler la gueule | Suh soo-lay lah guhl | To get plastered (informal) | Ils se sont saoulé la gueule ce week-end. (They got plastered this weekend.) |
| Être en pleine défonce | Eh-truh ahn plen day-fohns | To be totally out of it | Il est en pleine défonce après ces cocktails. (He’s totally out of it after those cocktails.) |
| Avoir bu un verre de trop | Ah-vwahr bew uhn vehr duh troh | To have one drink too many | Il a bu un verre de trop et s’est endormi. (He had one drink too many and passed out.) |
Responses to “Drunk” in French
When someone uses a phrase related to being “drunk” in French, there are many ways to respond depending on the context. You can react with humor, sympathy, or by showing concern. Below are some common responses, their meanings, and how to use them effectively in conversations.
1. Tu devrais te reposer.
Pronunciation: Tew duh-vray tuh ruh-poh-zay
Meaning: You should rest.
In a Sentence:
- Tu as l’air épuisé, tu devrais te reposer. (You look exhausted; you should rest.)
- Après avoir bu autant, tu devrais te reposer un peu. (After drinking so much, you should rest a little.)
2. Bois de l’eau, ça aide.
Pronunciation: Bwah duh loh, sah ed
Meaning: Drink water; it helps.
In a Sentence:
- Tu sembles mal, bois de l’eau, ça aide. (You seem unwell; drink water, it helps.)
- Bois de l’eau avant de rentrer. (Drink water before going home.)
3. Ça arrive à tout le monde.
Pronunciation: Sah ah-reev ah too luh mohnd
Meaning: It happens to everyone.
In a Sentence:
- Ne t’inquiète pas, ça arrive à tout le monde. (Don’t worry; it happens to everyone.)
- Après une longue journée, ça arrive à tout le monde de boire un peu trop. (After a long day, it happens to everyone to drink a bit too much.)
4. Tu veux que je t’aide à rentrer ?
Pronunciation: Tew vuh kuh juh ted ah rahn-tray
Meaning: Do you want me to help you get home?
In a Sentence:
- Si tu es trop saoul, tu veux que je t’aide à rentrer ? (If you’re too drunk, do you want me to help you get home?)
- Je peux t’aider à rentrer si nécessaire. (I can help you get home if needed.)
5. Fais attention la prochaine fois.
Pronunciation: Feh ah-tahn-syohn lah pro-shen fwah
Meaning: Be careful next time.
In a Sentence:
- Tu as bu trop vite, fais attention la prochaine fois. (You drank too fast; be careful next time.)
- Fais attention la prochaine fois pour éviter ça. (Be careful next time to avoid this.)
6. Tu vas mieux maintenant ?
Pronunciation: Tew vah myeuh mahn-tuh-nah
Meaning: Are you feeling better now?
In a Sentence:
- Après un verre d’eau, tu vas mieux maintenant ? (After a glass of water, are you feeling better now?)
- Tu sembles plus calme, tu vas mieux maintenant ? (You seem calmer; are you feeling better now?)
7. C’était une soirée difficile ?
Pronunciation: Say-teh ewn swah-ray dee-fee-seel
Meaning: Was it a rough night?
In a Sentence:
- Tu as l’air épuisé, c’était une soirée difficile ? (You look exhausted; was it a rough night?)
- J’imagine que c’était une soirée difficile avec tout ce vin. (I guess it was a rough night with all that wine.)
8. Tu veux un café pour te réveiller ?
Pronunciation: Tew vuh uh kah-fay poor tuh reh-vay-yay
Meaning: Do you want a coffee to wake up?
In a Sentence:
- Après une soirée comme ça, tu veux un café pour te réveiller ? (After a night like that, do you want a coffee to wake up?)
- Un café pourrait t’aider; tu en veux un ? (A coffee might help you; do you want one?)
9. Essaie de dormir un peu.
Pronunciation: Eh-say duh dor-meer uh puh
Meaning: Try to sleep a little.
In a Sentence:
- Tu sembles épuisé, essaie de dormir un peu. (You look exhausted; try to sleep a little.)
- Après tout cet alcool, essaie de dormir un peu. (After all that alcohol, try to sleep a little.)
10. Prends ton temps pour récupérer.
Pronunciation: Prahn ton tahn poor reh-kew-pay-ray
Meaning: Take your time to recover.
In a Sentence:
- Ce n’est pas grave, prends ton temps pour récupérer. (It’s okay; take your time to recover.)
- Après une soirée comme ça, prends ton temps pour récupérer. (After a night like that, take your time to recover.)
11. Tu veux qu’on reste avec toi ?
Pronunciation: Tew vuh kohn rest ah-vek twa
Meaning: Do you want us to stay with you?
In a Sentence:
- Si tu ne te sens pas bien, tu veux qu’on reste avec toi ? (If you’re not feeling well, do you want us to stay with you?)
- On peut rester avec toi un moment si tu veux. (We can stay with you for a while if you want.)
12. Essaie de ne pas refaire ça.
Pronunciation: Eh-say duh nuh pah ruh-fehr sah
Meaning: Try not to do this again.
In a Sentence:
- Pour ton bien, essaie de ne pas refaire ça. (For your own good, try not to do this again.)
- Après cette soirée, essaie de ne pas refaire ça. (After that night, try not to do this again.)
Exercise to Practice Success
Below are 12 fill-in-the-blank exercises using the ways to say “drunk” in French. The sentences are entirely in French, followed by their meanings in English. Practice these sentences to reinforce your learning.
Fill-in-the-Blanks
- Après trois verres, il était complètement ________ hier soir.
- Elle est devenue ________ après deux cocktails.
- Tu sembles ________; bois un peu d’eau pour te sentir mieux.
- On a passé une soirée ________ avec beaucoup de vin.
- Il a bu un verre de trop et était ________ avant de partir.
- Hier, il était ________ comme un coing après la fête.
- Après tout ce vin, elle se sentait ________ mais heureuse.
- Ils se sont ________ la gueule pendant le week-end.
- Il était tellement ________ qu’il ne pouvait pas rentrer seul.
- Elle a dit qu’elle était légèrement ________ après ce verre de champagne.
- Tu as l’air ________, essaie de te reposer un peu.
- C’était une soirée bien ________; on s’est bien amusés !
Answers
- bourré (After three drinks, he was completely drunk last night.)
- pompette (She became tipsy after two cocktails.)
- éméché (You seem tipsy; drink a little water to feel better.)
- arrosée (We had a boozy evening with lots of wine.)
- ivre (He drank one too many and was drunk before leaving.)
- bourré (Yesterday, he was completely wasted after the party.)
- gris (After all that wine, she felt tipsy but happy.)
- saoulé (They got plastered during the weekend.)
- torché (He was so smashed that he couldn’t go home alone.)
- éméchée (She said she was slightly tipsy after that glass of champagne.)
- chiffonné (You look drunk, try to rest a little.)
- arrosée (It was quite a boozy evening; we had a lot of fun!)
Conclusion
Learning how to say “drunk” in French expands your vocabulary and helps you understand different tones and situations in conversations. Whether you’re talking informally with friends or discussing a formal scenario, knowing the right words ensures you can communicate effectively.
From casual terms like bourré to formal expressions like en état d’ébriété, these phrases offer a range of options to match the context. Practicing these words will make you more confident when speaking French and help you better connect with French speakers in real-life situations. Keep exploring and using these phrases—you’ll sound more natural with time and practice!