酒気帯(しゅきお)び

Composed of 酒気(しゅき) (the smell/presence of alcohol) and 帯(お)び (wearing, having on one's person). A legal and traffic-related term describing the state of having a detectable amount of alcohol in one's body. In Japanese traffic law, this is distinguished from 酔(よ)っ払(ぱら)い運転(うんてん) (drunk driving), which implies a higher level of intoxication.

Usage

Almost always appears in compound form:

• 酒気帯(しゅきお)び運転(うんてん): driving under the influence (DUI)

Common collocations

• 酒気帯(しゅきお)び運転(うんてん): driving under the influence
• 酒気帯(しゅきお)びの状態(じょうたい): state of having alcohol in one's system
• 酒気帯(しゅきお)び検査(けんさ): alcohol breath test

Cultural note

Japanese law distinguishes between 酒気帯(しゅきお)び運転(うんてん) (driving with 0.15 mg or more of alcohol per liter of exhaled breath) and 酒酔(しゅよ)い運転(うんてん) (driving while intoxicated, based on impaired ability). The penalties for 酒酔(しゅよ)い運転(うんてん) are more severe.

Similar words

• 飲酒(いんしゅ)運転(うんてん): drunk driving — a general term covering any alcohol-impaired driving
• 酒酔(しゅよ)い運転(うんてん): driving while intoxicated — more severe legal category
• 酔(よ)っ払(ぱら)い: drunkard, drunk person — colloquial, not a legal term