استرخِ
istarkhi
The English phrase 'relax' can be translated into Arabic as استرخِ (istarkhi).
This verb is used to describe the act of resting and becoming relieved of stress.
Meaning: (intransitive) to rest and become relieved of stress (verb)
Which one should you use?
The form استرخِ is the imperative used when addressing a male. To tell a female to relax, you use the form استرخي.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form استرخِ is the masculine imperative. The noun form of the verb is استرخاء.
How do you pronounce it?
istarkhi
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, the command to relax is often accompanied by a hand gesture where the palm is facing down and moved slightly up and down to signal 'calm down'.
- While استرخِ is the standard, in some Levantine contexts, you might hear هدي أعصابك (haddi a'sabak), which literally means 'calm your nerves'.
- The root of استرخِ relates to the concept of 'slackening' or 'loosening', similar to how a rope becomes loose.
Examples in context
- استرخِ وتنفّس ببطء.Relax and breathe slowly.This sentence shows how to use استرخِ in a command to breathe slowly.Tatoeba #11896536 by Safa_Alfulaij, translation #7807521 by Hybrid
- استرخِ قليلاً في هذا المنتجع.istarkhi qalilan fi hadha al-muntaja'.Relax a little in this resort.
Example conversation
Layla sees Omar looking stressed at home.
- ليلى Laylaتبدو متوتراً جداً يا عمر.tabdu mutawattiran jiddan ya Omar.You look very stressed, Omar.
- عمر Omarنعم، كان يوماً طويلاً وشاقاً.na'am, kana yawman tawilan wa shaqqan.Yes, it was a long and hard day.
- ليلى Laylaاسترخِ الآن واشرب بعض الشاي.istarkhi al-an wa ishrab ba'da ash-shay.Relax now and drink some tea.
- عمر Omarشكراً لكِ يا ليلى، هذا رائع.shukran laki ya Layla, hadha ra'i.Thank you, Layla, that is great.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
