Translation and Meaning of: 酔っ払い - yopparai

The word 「酔っ払い」 (yopparai) primarily refers to a person who is drunk or intoxicated. It is composed of the characters 「酔」 (yo), which means "to get drunk," and 「払い」 (harai), which originally refers to "to dispatch" or "to expel." The expression has taken on the connotation of someone who has been "taken over by alcohol," due to the combination with the verb 「酔っぱらう」 (yopparau), which means "to get drunk." This term is commonly used in informal contexts to somewhat jokingly describe those people who have overindulged in alcoholic beverages.

The etymology of 「酔っ払い」 is quite enlightening. The kanji 「酔」 suggests the idea of intoxication or hallucination from alcohol consumption. The segment 「払い」 comes from the verb 「払う」 (harau), which has various meanings, including the act of "paying" or "cleansing," contributing to the idea of someone "overcome" or "loaded" by an external substance. This interpretation harkens back to ancient concepts of purification and possession, a cultural and linguistic way of capturing the transformation that alcohol causes in a person.

In addition to its widespread use in everyday life, the word 「酔っ払い」 also carries a touch of social critique, reflecting on people's behavior in society. Japan, being a country with a culture of socialization around alcoholic beverages, especially at events like 「飲み会」 (nomikai) — drinking parties — often uses expressions like 「酔っ払い」 to comment on excesses in a lighter manner. Thus, 「酔っ払い」 has become part of the social folklore, describing common scenes from urban daily life, such as intoxicated engers on trains or friends having a bit too much fun at izakayas.

Vocabulary

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Synonyms and similar words

• 酔いどれ (yoidore) - A drunk, a person who is intoxicated, often used in a poetic way.
• 酔っぱらい (yopparai) - Drunk, used in a casual and colloquial context.
• 酔狂者 (suikyō-sha) - A person who likes to get drunk, an eccentric person who enjoys intoxication.
• 酔っぱらい者 (yopparai-mono) - Another way to refer to a drunkard, in a more formal or descriptive tone.
• 酔っ払いの人 (yopparai no hito) - The drunk person, a generic term to designate someone who is intoxicated.
• 酔っ払った人 (yopparatta hito) - A person who got drunk, highlighting the state of intoxication as a past condition.
• 酔っ払っている人 (yopatte iru hito) - A person who is drunk, indicating a current state of intoxication.
• 酔っ払っている男 (yopatte iru otoko) - Man who is drunk, highlighting the gender.
• 酔っ払っている女 (yopatte iru onna) - Woman who is drunk, highlighting the gender.
• 酔っ払っているおじさん (yopatte iru ojisan) - An uncle who is drunk, referring to an older man in a state of drunkenness.
• 酔っ払っているおばさん (yopatte iru obasan) - An aunt who is drunk, referring to an older woman in a state of intoxication.

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