편히 쉬세요
pyeonhi swiseyo
To say 'relax' in Korean, use 편히 쉬세요 (pyeonhi swiseyo).
편히 쉬세요 is used as a polite command or suggestion to tell someone to take a break or relax. It specifically conveys the idea of resting and becoming relieved of stress.
Meaning: (intransitive) to rest and become relieved of stress (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 편히 (comfortably) and 쉬세요 (please rest).
Which one should you use?
You may use 쉬세요 to simply advise someone to take a break or 휴식하세요 as a more formal way to tell someone to relax and take a rest. If you want to suggest someone take a break from their work or daily routine, you can use 휴가를 가세요.
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal or casual version is 편히 쉬어, while the highly formal version is 편히 쉬십시오.
How do you pronounce it?
pyeonhi swiseyo
Did you know?
- The verb 쉬다 (swida) is a homonym that can also mean 'to smell' or 'to go bad' when referring to food.
- While 편히 쉬세요 means 'relax', Korean has a specific term 멍때리다 (meong-ttaerida) for 'spacing out' or 'zoning out' as a way to relax the mind.
- When telling someone to 'relax' their muscles or tension, Koreans often use 풀다 (pulda), which means 'to untie' or 'to loosen' a knot.
Examples in context
- 집에서 편히 쉬세요.jib-eseo pyeon-hi swi-se-yo.Please relax at home.
- 주말에는 편히 쉬세요.ju-mal-e-neun pyeon-hi swi-se-yo.Please relax during the weekend.
Example conversation
Ji-eun is telling Min-jun to rest after a long workday.
- 지은 Ji-eun오늘 정말 고생 많았어요.o-neul jeong-mal go-saeng man-at-eo-yo.You worked very hard today.
- 민준 Min-jun정말 피곤하네요.jeong-mal pi-gon-ha-ne-yo.I am really tired.
- 지은 Ji-eun집에 가서 편히 쉬세요.jib-e ga-seo pyeon-hi swi-se-yo.Please go home and relax.
- 민준 Min-jun네, 감사합니다.ne, gam-sa-ham-ni-da.Yes, thank you.
