落ち着いて
ochitsuite
To say 'calm yourself' in Japanese, use 落ち着いて (ochitsuite).
The phrase 落ち着いて is used to tell someone to relax or stop being upset. This applies to situations where someone is experiencing emotional distress, such as being angry or crying, as well as situations where someone is physically panicking or rushing.
Which one should you use?
While 落ち着いて is a general way to tell someone to calm down, the phrase 冷静になって (reisei ni natte) is used specifically to tell someone to 'become composed' or 'be rational', particularly when they are acting irrationally. The command 落ち着け (ochitsuke) is a much stronger and more blunt version of the expression.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can turn the command into a polite request by adding ください (kudasai) to the end, resulting in 落ち着いてください (ochitsuite kudasai).
How do you pronounce it?
ochitsuite
Did you know?
- In a professional setting, telling a superior to 落ち着いて can be a social blunder. Even the polite form 落ち着いてください can sound patronizing because it implies you are instructing them on how to manage their own feelings.
- The word 冷静 in the phrase 冷静になって uses the kanji for 'cold', suggesting that a person must 'cool' their heated emotions to regain their rationality.
- The verb 落ち着く is used not only for emotions but also to describe the physical process of sediment settling at the bottom of a liquid.
Examples in context
- 落ち着いて、まずは深呼吸して。Ochitsuite, mazu wa shinkokyuu shite.Calm yourself and take a deep breath first.
- そんなに焦らないで、落ち着いて。Sonna ni asaranaide, ochitsuite.Don't rush so much, calm yourself.
Example conversation
Misaki is trying to soothe Daigaku who is panicking about a lost wallet.
- 美咲 Misakiどうしよう！財布がない！Dō shiyō! Saifu ga nai!What should I do! My wallet is gone!
- 大翔 Hiroto大翔、落ち着いて。Daigaku, ochitsuite.Daigaku, calm yourself.
- 美咲 Misakiどこにあるんだろう。Doko ni aru ndarō.I wonder where it is.
- 大翔 Hiroto一緒に探そう。Issho ni sagasō.Let's look for it together.
