opusti se
To relax in Bosnian is to say opusti se.
The phrase is used to describe the act of resting or becoming relieved of stress. While opusti se focuses on relaxation, you may also encounter Smiri se. if the goal is to tell someone to calm down or compose themselves.
Meaning: (intransitive) to rest and become relieved of stress (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase opusti se literally means "loosen yourself." It is composed of the verb opustiti (to loosen or relax) and the reflexive pronoun se (self).
Which one should you use?
The noun form for the act of relaxation is opuštanje. If you want to tell someone to calm down rather than just loosen up, use Smiri se. instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form opusti se is the singular imperative, which is used when giving a command or instruction to one person to relax.
Did you know?
- The verb opustiti can also mean 'to slacken', so the phrase opusti se mirrors the physical act of letting a rope go loose.
- Using opusti se as a command to someone who is angry might actually escalate the situation, as it can sound patronizing, similar to telling an English speaker to 'just chill'.
- The reflexive pronoun se in opusti se descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *swé, which is a distant relative of the English word 'self'.
Examples in context
- Opusti se.Relax.This sentence is useful for practicing the imperative form opusti se.Tatoeba #10198892 by bokalabocca, translation #1722133 by shanghainese
- Dođi kod mene večeras. Opusti se!Come to my place tonight. Relax!
- Nemoj se brinuti o tome, smiri se.Don't worry about it, relax.
Example conversation
Emir sees that Jasmina is very stressed about her exams.
- EmirJasmina, previše brineš, opusti se.Jasmina, you're worrying too much, relax.
- JasminaNe mogu, imam previše učenja.I can't, I have too much to study.
- EmirHajde da prošetamo malo da se opustiš.Let's take a short walk so you can relax.
- JasminaU pravu si, to mi treba.You're right, I need that.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
