Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| sich betrinken | |
| saufen | /ˈzaʊ̯fən/ /ˈsao̯fn̩/ (Austria, Bavaria) |
The phrase is used to describe the process of intoxicating oneself with alcohol. While sich betrinken is a neutral way to describe this act, the term saufen is used to describe drinking heavily or boozing with a crude, negative connotation.
What does it mean word for word?
The word saufen literally means to drink in the way that animals drink, which is why it carries an insulting tone when applied to people.
Which one should you use?
sich betrinken is the neutral way to say one is getting drunk. In contrast, saufen is much more negative and crude. You might also encounter Besoffen werden as an informal way to describe getting wasted or getting hammered.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
sich betrinken is the standard, neutral form. saufen is an informal, colloquial and often derogatory term. Similarly, Besoffen werden is an informal expression.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb sich betrinken is reflexive, meaning it requires the reflexive pronoun sich to indicate that one is intoxicating oneself. If you want to describe the state of being drunk rather than the process of becoming so, use the adjective betrunken.
Did you know?
- The word saufen is also used in German to describe the act of a boat sinking or going under water.
Examples in context
- Lass uns saufen!Let's get drunk.This sentence uses the informal saufen.Tatoeba #1893571 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1891276 by CK
- Wer einen Tag lang glücklich sein will, soll sich betrinken. Wer einen Monat lang glücklich sein will, soll ein Schwein schlachten. Wer ein Jahr lang glücklich sein will, soll heiraten. Wer ein Leben lang glücklich sein will, muss seinen Beruf lieben.Those who want to be happy for a day should get drunk. Those who want to be happy for a month should slaughter a pig. Those who want to be happy for a year should marry. Those who want to be happy for their whole life must love their profession.This sentence uses sich betrinken to describe the process of getting drunk as part of a philosophical comparison.Tatoeba #1814221 by Esperantostern, translation #3450207 by Plusquamperfekt
- Ich werde betrunkenI'm getting drunk.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “get drunk” translations and entries saufen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries betrinken, saufen, sich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
