se détendre
To say chill in French, the default form is se détendre.
The term is used to express the act of being calm, relaxed or easygoing. While se détendre is a standard way to express relaxing, you may encounter different versions depending on the social context.
Meaning: calm, relaxed, easygoing (adj)
Which one should you use?
The slang term chiller is an anglicism frequently used by French youth to mean hanging out or relaxing in a casual setting. Additionally, the English word 'relax' can be used as an informal option.
How does it change in a sentence?
se détendre is a reflexive verb.
Did you know?
- The word détendre literally means 'to loosen' or 'to unbend', imagining the body or mind as a stretched bowstring being released.
- French youth often use posé to describe a 'chill' person or vibe, which literally means 'placed' or 'set down'.
- While chiller is a direct loan from English, it is often used in France as a first-group verb with full French conjugation, such as j'ai chillé for 'I chilled'.
Examples in context
- Après une longue journée, elle se sentait détendue.After a long day, she felt relaxed.
- C'est vraiment cool d'aller à la plage aujourd'hui.It's really chill to go to the beach today.
- Je vais me détendre un peu.I'm going to relax a bit.
