How to Say "Sober" in Japanese

しらふ

shirafu

The Japanese word for sober is しらふ (shirafu).

しらふ is used to describe a person's normal, non-intoxicated state or personality, often in contrast to how they behave while drunk.

Meaning: not drunk (adj)

How does it change in a sentence?

When used to modify a noun, the word しらふ takes the particle の to become しらふの.

shirafu

In some contexts, describing someone as しらふ can imply they are acting 'too serious' or 'stiff' if they are refusing to join in the social drinking atmosphere.
The term しらふ is closely related to the word しら ('white' or 'plain'), reflecting a cultural association between purity, emptiness and a clear head.
While しらふ describes the state of not being drunk, Japanese has a specific term 下戸 ('gedo') for someone who cannot drink alcohol at all due to their constitution.

トムは酔っ払うと、しらふの時には食べないものまでいろいろと食べる。
When Tom gets drunk, he'll eat a lot of things that he wouldn't eat when he's sober.
This sentence is useful for illustrating the contrast between someone's behavior when they are drunk and when they are using the form しらふ.
Tatoeba #2167636 by bunbuku, translation #1847742 by CK

Two friends are talking at a party.

大翔 Hiroto

大翔はまだ酔っているの？
Hiroto wa mada yotte iru no?
Are you still drunk, Hiroto?
結衣 Yui

いや、もうしらふだよ。
Iya, mou shirafu dayo.
No, I'm sober already.
大翔 Hiroto

本当？顔が赤いよ。
Hontou? Kao ga akai yo.
Really? Your face is red.
結衣 Yui

ただ暑いだけだよ。
Tada atsui dake dayo.
It's just because it's hot.

Sources

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