se détendre
To say "chill out" in French, you can use se détendre. Wiktionary also lists se calmer and se relaxer.
Meaning: relax or take time out (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| se détendre | |
| se calmer | |
| se relaxer | /sə ʁ(ə).lak.se/ |
The phrase is used to express the idea of relaxing or taking time out.
Which one should you use?
Use se calmer if the person is currently angry, agitated or upset, whereas se détendre refers more generally to relaxing or de-stressing. Se relaxer is often used in the context of physical or mental relaxation, such as after a long day of work.
Did you know?
- In casual settings, French speakers often use the slang se poser, which literally means 'to set oneself down' or 'to land' like a bird or plane.
- The word détendre literally contains the Latin root for 'stretching', so to 'relax' in French is etymologically to 'un-stretch' oneself.
- In very informal French slang, instead of using these verbs, someone might tell you to décompresse, which treats the person like a pressure cooker that needs to release steam.
Examples in context
- Il est important de prendre du temps pour se détendre. / Oui, je suis d'accord. Il est essentiel de se détendre régulièrement.It is important to take time to relax. / Yes, I agree. It is essential to relax regularly.
- Le stress peut nuire à la santé. Il est crucial de se relaxer. / Tout à fait d'accord. Prendre du temps pour se relaxer est primordial.Stress can harm health. It is crucial to relax. / Completely agree. Taking time to relax is essential.
- Pourquoi t'énerver autant ? Essaie de te calmer. / Tu as raison, je devrais vraiment me calmer.Why get so upset? Try to calm down. / You are right, I should really calm down.
- Tu devrais arrêter de te prendre la tête. Lâche prise! / Oui, j'ai besoin de lâcher prise et de me détendre un peu.You should stop worrying. Let go! / Yes, I need to let go and relax a bit.
- Il est important de se détendre parfois.It is important to relax sometimes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chill out” translations and entries se relaxer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries calmer, détendre, relaxer, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
