ivre

drunk

adjective EE-vruh Less Common

Origin: Latin ebrius 'drunk'

Also means

intoxicated

Usage Note

Ivre is the standard, neutral-register adjective for intoxicated; colloquial alternatives include bourré(e) and saoul(e). The phrase ivre mort ('dead drunk') intensifies the meaning. The related noun ivresse means 'intoxication' or 'drunkenness', and also figuratively 'elation'.

Examples

"Il était complètement ivre hier soir."

Natural Translation

He was completely drunk last night.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Telling Time in French: Hours, Quarters, 24-Hour

Telling time in French means Il est cinq heures, et quart, et demie, and the 24-hour clock like quatorze heures trente. Read any French schedule.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

How to Say "I Miss You" in French (Without Errors)

"I miss you" in French is Tu me manques, not Je te manque. Learn the subject-flip behind manquer so you never text the opposite of what you mean.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

En, Au, Aux: French Prepositions for Countries

Use en for feminine countries, au for masculine, aux for plural, and à for cities. Full French preposition rule for countries, with a lookup table and traps.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Je t'aime vs Je t'adore: I Love You in French

Je t'aime is the real romantic I love you; je t'adore means warm fondness, not romance. Here's the person-vs-thing rule and the bien trap that flips it.

June 4, 2026 6 min read