cálmate antes de que te calme
/kalmate antes de ke te kalme/from spelling rules
The English phrase "calm down before I calm you down" is translated into Spanish as cálmate antes de que te calme.
This phrase is used as a direct, aggressive threat to imply that the speaker will use force to make the person quiet or still.
What does it mean word for word?
The first part, cálmate, is an imperative form of the reflexive verb calmarse, which means "calm yourself". The phrase literally translates to "calm yourself before that I calm you".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the subjunctive mood in the second clause because it follows the conjunction antes de que.
Did you know?
- The word que in this phrase is a distant relative of the English word 'who'. Both words trace their origins back to the same Proto-Indo-European root.
- In Spanish, the verb calmar can also be used in a medical context to describe the administration of a sedative or tranquilizer.
- While this phrase is a threat, the verb calmar is used in the idiom calmar los ánimos to describe soothing a crowd or a tense atmosphere.
Examples in context
- ¡Cálmate antes de que te calme de una vez!Calm down before I calm you down once and for all!
- Escúchame, cálmate antes de que te calme.Listen to me, calm down before I calm you down.
Example conversation
Lucía is trying to control Javier during a heated argument.
- Lucía¡Cálmate antes de que te calme, Javier!Calm down before I calm you down, Javier!
- JavierNo me digas qué hacer.Don't tell me what to do.
- LucíaLo digo en serio, cálmate.I am serious, calm down.
- JavierEstá bien, me voy a tranquilizar.Fine, I am going to calm down.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries antes, de, que, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
