ēbrius
The English word "drunk" can be translated into Latin as ēbrius, describing someone who is intoxicated after drinking too much alcohol. Wiktionary also lists pōtus and ūvidus.
Meaning: intoxicated after drinking too much alcohol (adj)
Ways to say it
| Latin | Note |
|---|---|
| ēbrius | |
| pōtus | |
| ūvidus | |
| ēlixus | slang |
The primary way to express being intoxicated is through the adjective ēbrius. If you wish to refer to a person who is a habitual drinker or a drunkard, you would instead use nouns such as ēbriōsus, bibōnius or madulsa.
Which one should you use?
The adjective ēbrius describes the state of being drunk, whereas the related noun ēbriōsus describes a person who is a habitual drunkard.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, the form of ēbrius must agree in gender and number with the person who is drunk (e.g., ēbrius, ēbria or ēbrium).
Did you know?
- The word ēlixus literally translates to 'boiled', as if the person has been cooked through by alcohol.
- Using ūvidus to describe a person could be taken literally as meaning they are actually damp or soaked in liquid.
- In Roman comedy, such as the plays of Plautus, characters often use ēbrius not just to describe intoxication but as a comedic plot device to justify absurd behavior.
Examples in context
- Ēbrius es?Are you drunk?This sentence is useful for asking someone if they are currently in the state of being ēbrius.Tatoeba #11069433 by alexmarcelo, translation #1294262 by CK
- Thōmās est ēbrius.Tom's drunk.This sentence is useful for stating that a specific person is ēbrius.Tatoeba #5053156 by Wezel, translation #2107496 by CK
- Postquam multum vini biberat, Caius ebrius evasit.After drinking a lot of wine, Caius became drunk.
- Vir ēbrius est.The man is drunk.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucia and Gaius are at a party.
- LuciaCur Mārcus nōn saltat?Why isn't Marcus dancing?
- GaiusQuia ēbrius est.Because he is drunk.
- LuciaTū quoque ēbrius es?Are you drunk too?
- GaiusMinime, ego sum sānus.Not at all, I am sober.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “drunk” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
