How to Say “Are You Drunk” in Spanish

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¿estás borracho?
The English phrase "are you drunk" is translated into Spanish as ¿estás borracho?
These phrases are used to ask if someone is currently under the influence of alcohol.

Which one should you use?

The phrase uses the verb estar to indicate a temporary state. If you use the verb ser instead, you change the meaning from being currently drunk to being a habitual drunkard. Additionally, ¿Has tomado? is a way to ask "Have you been drinking?" compared to ¿estás borracho?

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

For a standard informal setting, use ¿estás borracho? If you need to be formal, use ¿Está borracho? or the more clinical and formal ¿está ebrio? In very casual settings, you might hear the informal ¿Has tomado? or the slang ¿estás pedo? A colloquial option to ask if someone went overboard with their drinks is ¿Te pasaste de copas?

Is it said differently in some regions?

In many Latin American countries, particularly Mexico, the slang term ¿estás pedo? is a very common and highly informal way to ask if someone is drunk.

How does it change in a sentence?

The form must change based on the gender and number of the people you are addressing. If you are asking a woman, change the masculine adjective to the feminine form ¿estás borracha? To ask a group of people if they are drunk, use the plural form ¿están borrachos?

What mistakes should you avoid?

Avoid using ¿eres borracho? Because ser refers to permanent characteristics, using it implies that the person is a habitual drunkard by nature, rather than simply asking if they are intoxicated right now.

Did you know?

  • In Mexico, you might hear someone ask ¿estás pedo? to mean 'are you drunk'.
  • The word borracho likely has its roots in the Catalan word morratxa, which means 'flask'.
  • While borracho is common, the formal term ebrio is often reserved for legal documents and police reports to describe intoxication.

Examples in context

  • ¿Estás borracho?
    Are you drunk?
    This sentence is useful for practicing the direct question ¿estás borracho?
    Tatoeba #1294329 by marcelostockle, translation #1294262 by CK
  • Dime la verdad, ¿estás borracho?
    Tell me the truth, are you drunk?

Example conversation

Alejandro is stumbling while walking home with Elena.

  1. Alejandro

    Me siento muy bien hoy.
    I feel very good today.
  2. Elena

    Alejandro, ¿estás borracho?
    Alejandro, are you drunk?
  3. Alejandro

    Solo tomé dos copas.
    I only had two drinks.
  4. Elena

    Parece que tomaste más.
    It seems like you had more.

Sources

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Phyllis Fiona
Phyllis FionaHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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