أَهْدَأَ
ʔahdaʔa
To say "calm down" in Arabic, the default form is أَهْدَأَ (ʔahdaʔa). Wiktionary also lists هَدَّأَ (haddaʔa).
Meaning: To become less excited (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| أَهْدَأَ | ʔahdaʔa |
| هَدَّأَ | haddaʔa |
This phrase is used to tell someone to become less excited, to soothe someone who is upset or to tell someone to stop being agitated or angry.
How does it change in a sentence?
When giving a command, you use the imperative form اِهْدَأْ. If you are addressing a female, the imperative form changes to اِهْدَئِي.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔahdaʔa
Did you know?
- If you want someone to calm down in a Levantine dialect, you might say طوّل بالك (tawwil balak), which translates literally to 'lengthen your mind' or 'make your mind long'.
- In many Arabic dialects, instead of using a verb to say 'calm down', people often use the word رَوْق (rawq), which literally refers to the clarity or purity of water or air.
- Telling someone اِهْدَأْ (ihda') during a heated argument can actually backfire, as it can be perceived as patronizing or dismissive in certain Middle Eastern cultures.
Examples in context
- ريح نفسك واسترخيCalm down and relax
- يجب أن أَهْدَأَ قليلاً.Yajibu an ahda'a qalilan.I must calm down a little.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “calm down” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
