acalmar-se
To say "calm down" in Portuguese, use acalmar-se.
The phrase is used when someone is becoming less excited.
Meaning: To become less excited (verb)
Which one should you use?
While acalmar-se is the reflexive form for the act of calming oneself, you may use the non-reflexive acalmar when the subject is calming someone else or something else.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form acalmar-se is the reflexive form. If you are describing a group of people calming themselves down in the present tense, use acalmam-se. To give a polite or formal command, use the imperative acalme-se.
Did you know?
- A common way to tell someone to 'calm down' during a heated argument in Brazil is to say baixa a bola, which literally means 'lower the ball'.
- In Brazil, you might hear people say fica frio or fica suave to mean 'stay calm' or 'chill out', which literally translates to 'stay cold' or 'stay smooth'.
- In many Portuguese-speaking cultures, telling someone to acalme-se can be perceived as patronizing or condescending, even if you mean it kindly.
Examples in context
- Tente acalmar-se.Try to calm down.This sentence shows how to use the form acalmar-se in a suggestion.Tatoeba #4445126 by alexmarcelo, translation #4368506 by popball
- Por favor, acalme-se. Nós podemos resolver isso de maneira tranquila.Please calm down. We can solve this peacefully.
- Relaxa, tudo vai dar certo. Não precisa se preocupar tanto.Relax, everything will be fine. You don't need to worry so much.
- Você precisa acalmar-se agora.You need to calm down now.
Example conversation
Mariana is trying to help Rodrigo who is very stressed.
- MarianaRodrigo, por favor, tente acalmar-se.Rodrigo, please, try to calm down.
- RodrigoEu não consigo, estou muito nervoso!I can't, I'm very nervous!
- MarianaRespire fundo para acalmar-se.Take a deep breath to calm down.
- RodrigoObrigado, Mariana. Estou melhor agora.Thank you, Mariana. I'm better now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “calm down” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
