استرخ
istarkhi
To say chill out in Arabic, use استرخ (istarkhi), which means relax.
استرخ is Modern Standard Arabic and is used more for physical relaxation, as in rest or meditation, than for telling someone to stop being angry.
Meaning: relax or take time out (verb)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
استرخ is formal. In Egyptian and Levantine dialects روّق (rawwiq) is much more common for chill out or calm down. Informally you can also say ريّح حالك, relax yourself.
How does it change in a sentence?
استرخِ is the imperative for a man, written with a short vowel mark under the final letter in formal Arabic.
Did you know?
- The dialect version روّق (rawwiq) literally translates to 'make something clear' or 'purify', as if you are asking someone to settle the sediment in a liquid to make it transparent.
- In many Arabic dialects, the concept of 'chilling out' is linked to the word روقان (rawqan), which describes a specific state of mental clarity and serenity often achieved through drinking coffee or tea in silence.
- In certain North African dialects, telling someone to 'chill out' might involve a word related to برد (barad), meaning 'cold', mirroring the English use of 'chill' more closely than the formal استرخ does.
Examples in context
- ريّح حالك. ما في داعي للقلقChill out. There is no need to worry.
Example conversation
Sarah and Omar are talking about a stressful day.
- سارة Saraأنا متوترة جداً اليوم يا عمر.Ana mutawattira jiddan al-yawm ya Omar.I am very stressed today, Omar.
- عمر Omarفقط استرخ واشرب بعض الشاي.Faqat istarkh wa ishrab ba'd al-shay.Just chill out and drink some tea.
- سارة Saraهذه فكرة جيدة حقاً.Hadhihi fikra jayyida haqqan.That is actually a good idea.
- عمر Omarستشعرين بتحسن سريعاً.Satash'ureena bi-tahassun sari'an.You will feel better quickly.
