落ち着いて
ochitsuite
The Japanese phrase for 'calm down' is 落ち着いて (ochitsuite).
落ち着いて is used when someone needs to become less excited. This applies to both emotional agitation, such as feeling anger or panic and physical restlessness, such as being hyperactive.
Meaning: To become less excited (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is the te-form of the verb 落ち着く, which literally means 'to settle down'. It is composed of the elements 落 (to fall or drop) and 着 (to arrive or settle).
How does it change in a sentence?
落ち着いて is the te-form of the verb 落ち着く and functions as a casual imperative. To transform this command into a polite request, you can add ください to the end to form 落ち着いてください.
How do you pronounce it?
ochitsuite
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the verb 落ち着く is used to describe the way dust or sediment settles at the bottom of a liquid.
- While 'calm down' in English is often used to soothe a child, using the imperative 落ち着いて with an adult in a heated argument can be perceived as patronizing or condescending.
- The concept of calming down in Japanese is metaphorically linked to the image of a bird landing or an object reaching its final resting place.
Examples in context
- 落ち着いて！Calm down.This example shows how to use 落ち着いて as a direct command.Tatoeba #3507487 by arnab, translation #435575 by CK
- みんな、落ち着いて。Everyone, calm down.This example demonstrates using 落ち着いて to address a group of people.Tatoeba #10153817 by small_snow, translation #9979313 by shekitten
- 落ち着いてください。Please calm down.This example shows how to use the polite form 落ち着いてください.Tatoeba #10701773 by small_snow, translation #620125 by ulyssemc1
- 落 (お) ち着 (つ) いている (o-chi tsuite iru)I'm calm.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a busy train station, Ren is panicking because he lost his wallet.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮、まずは落ち着いて。Ren, mazu wa ochitsuite.Ren, first, calm down.
- 蓮 Renでも、財布を忘れたんだ！Demo, saifu o wasureta n da!But, I forgot my wallet!
- 陽葵 Himari大丈夫、一緒に探そう。Daijoubu, issho ni sagasou.It's okay, let's look for it together.
- 蓮 Renありがとう、陽葵。Arigatou, Himari.Thank you, Himari.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
