German Conversation · Level 51
74 words
German word
betrunken
Pronunciation
IPA/bəˈtʁʊŋkən/
Meaning
- adjectivedrunk
Example
Der betrunkene Mann spricht laut.
The drunk man speaks loudly.
More examples
Er kam völlig betrunken nach Hause.
He came home completely drunk.
Core concept
A person altered by alcohol so that perception is less clear and speech or movement may become less controlled.
Common phrases
völlig betrunken
completely drunk
stark betrunken
very drunk
betrunkener Fahrer
drunk driver
Similar words
besoffen: Very drunk from heavy drinking, with little control over speech or behavior.
angetrunken: Slightly drunk after a small amount of alcohol, with a light, relaxed feeling.
beschwipst: Lightly drunk, cheerful, and pleasantly more lively than usual.
Definition in German
Zustand mit veränderter Wahrnehmung, lauterem Verhalten oder Unruhe.
Word origin
Betrunken comes from the past participle of sich betrinken, which is built on trinken and belongs to the same Germanic word family as English drink.
Usage tips
- Betrunken is the usual neutral term, whereas besoffen is colloquial and often coarse, and alkoholisiert is more formal or clinical.
Other meanings
- dead drunkadjective
Opposites
- nüchternsoberadjective
Related words
- betrinkenget drunkverb
- Betrunkenerdrunkardnoun
- Betrunkenheitdrunkennessnoun