Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| say | [saj˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [ʂaj˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| xỉn | [sin˧˩] (Hà Nội, narrow) [sin˧˨] (Huế, narrow) |
The primary way to describe being intoxicated after drinking too much alcohol is say. To be more specific, you can say say rượu, which literally means "drunk on alcohol." In casual conversation, you may also see the combined form say xỉn used to emphasize the state of being intoxicated. Additionally, the informal phrase đã nhậu can be used to mean "already drank," often implying that someone has been drinking heavily or is currently drunk.
Which one should you use?
While say is the standard term, xỉn is an informal, colloquial word typically used to describe being tipsy or in a state of mild intoxication. You can also combine them into say xỉn for casual emphasis.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate that a person has already reached the state of being drunk, you can add the word rồi after the verb to create say rồi.
Did you know?
- When people are say rượu, they may use the phrase tới bến, which literally means 'to the dock' but colloquially means drinking until one is completely wasted.
- In a romantic context, say can describe being intoxicated by love or a person, similar to the English expression 'drunk in love'.
- Vietnamese uses the same root say to describe being 'infatuated' or 'dazzled' by something beautiful, such as a stunning landscape.
Examples in context
- Cô ta hơi say.She's a bit drunk.This sentence is useful for describing someone who is a bit drunk using say.Tatoeba #3484806 by tucm, translation #1911953 by Spamster
- Cô ấy say rồi.She's drunk.This sentence shows how to say someone is already drunk using say.Tatoeba #13881391 by leucammieuvu, translation #13881211 by morbrorper
- Họ đang say rượu.They're drunk.This sentence demonstrates the specific phrase say rượu to describe being drunk on alcohol.Tatoeba #8989020 by dotheduyet1999, translation #2111306 by CK
- Anh ấy đến công ty không thể đi thẳng được, chắc là đã nhậu.He couldn't walk straight when he arrived at the company, he must have been drunk.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hương and Nam are at a house party.
- HươngNam say rồi à?Nam, are you drunk?
- NamỪ, mình hơi say.Yeah, I am a little drunk.
- HươngĐừng uống thêm nữa.Don't drink any more.
- NamĐể mình đi nghỉ.Let me go rest.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “drunk” translations and entries say, xỉn, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
