Yoana Ivanova May 27, 2020:

You didn't screw up Изпускам се and изпусна се is the same verb, just in different aspects (imperfective vs perfective aka несвършен вид и свършен вид)

James McVay (asker) May 27, 2020:

Oops! I screwed up. I just noticed that I misspelled the word used in the question. Instead of се изпусКам, I should have typed се испусНам.

Does that change anyone's mind?

Yoana Ivanova May 27, 2020:

As it is a medical questionnaire, I would stick to a formal register in English. The Bulgarian expression is legitimate medical terminology: https://medpedia.framar.bg/симптоми/неволно-изпускане-на-изп...

Something like "Did you have a bowel movement last night while sleeping (including going to the toilet or being incontinent)?"

As for the expression itself, it's used in both formal and informal contexts. I would use it in a conversation with friends if I don't want to be crude.

P.S. I don't agree with the proposed translation of wetting oneself considering that the question concerns specifically a bowel movement.

James McVay (asker) May 27, 2020:

Thanks. Now that that's settled, could someone suggest an equivalent English expression? The question is from a back translation of a medical questionnaire, so it's important for me to know the level of rhetoric. Is it an expression one might use with a close friend or family member? Or is more formal than that? In other words, would it be used to say someone pooped his pants or was incontinent?

Yoana Ivanova May 27, 2020:

You understood correctly, involuntary defecation basically aka pooping your pants.