Relax in Different Languages
Discover 'Relax' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'relax' holds immense significance in our daily lives, acting as a gentle reminder to take a break and rejuvenate. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as various societies and communities around the world recognize the need to unwind and reconnect with oneself. From the fast-paced streets of New York to the serene landscapes of Kyoto, the concept of relaxation is universal, yet experienced differently across cultures.
Delving into the translations of 'relax' in different languages not only satiates our linguistic curiosity but also unravels fascinating cultural nuances. For instance, the Spanish 'relajarse' stems from the Latin 'relaxare,' which means 'to loose the strings of' – a metaphorical allusion to shedding one's tension. Meanwhile, the German 'sich entspannen' consists of two words: 'sich' (reflexive pronoun) and 'entspannen' (to release), emphasizing the individual's role in achieving relaxation.
Join us as we embark on a global journey to explore the various manifestations of 'relax' in an array of languages, from the French 'se détendre' to the Chinese '放松' (fàngsōng) and beyond. This exploration will offer insights into the diverse ways people prioritize self-care and tranquility, enriching our understanding of global cultures and languages.
Relax
Relax in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | ontspan | ||
| "Ontspan" can also mean "unclamp" or "open" in the sense of opening a door latch.} | |||
| Amharic | ዘና በል | ||
| Hausa | huta | ||
| Hausa word 'Huta' may have originated from the Arabic word 'Hur' (freedom). | |||
| Igbo | zuo ike | ||
| The Igbo word "Zuo ike" also means "to recline" or "to be at ease," and is related to the word "ike," meaning "strength" or "power." | |||
| Malagasy | mitonia | ||
| The term 'mitonia' is also used in Malagasy to describe a state of tranquility or a feeling of relief. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | khazikani mtima pansi | ||
| Literally meaning "take your heart on the ground," this phrase is used when telling someone to relax and not be uptight. | |||
| Shona | zorora | ||
| The word 'zorora' shares the same etymology with 'zororo,' which refers to the sound made by doves. | |||
| Somali | naso | ||
| The verb 'naso' in Somali can also mean to 'loosen' or to 'let go'. | |||
| Sesotho | khatholoha | ||
| The word "Khatholoha" in Sesotho also has connotations of calmness, serenity and tranquility. | |||
| Swahili | pumzika | ||
| "Pumzika" shares the same root with "pumzi" (breath), indicating the link between relaxation and taking a deep breath. | |||
| Xhosa | phola | ||
| Phola can also mean to soften, to become limp or flaccid, or to be gentle. | |||
| Yoruba | sinmi | ||
| Sinmi is also a Yoruba name that means "Rest" or "Relaxation." | |||
| Zulu | nethezeka | ||
| While "Netha" (relax) means "let go" in Zulu, the word does not originate from this. | |||
| Bambara | sɛgɛnlafiɲɛbɔ | ||
| Ewe | gbɔdzi ɖi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | humura | ||
| Lingala | kopema | ||
| Luganda | okuwummula | ||
| Sepedi | iketla | ||
| Twi (Akan) | dwodwo wo ho | ||
Relax in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الاسترخاء | ||
| الاسترخاء can also be used to describe the release of something, like the release of a spring | |||
| Hebrew | לְהִרָגַע | ||
| The word "לְהִרָגַע" comes from the root "רגע"," meaning "moment" or "calm", and is related to the word "רגוע"," meaning "calm". | |||
| Pashto | ارام اوسه | ||
| "اوسه" can mean either to relax or leisure. | |||
| Arabic | الاسترخاء | ||
| الاسترخاء can also be used to describe the release of something, like the release of a spring | |||
Relax in Western European Languages
| Albanian | relaksohuni | ||
| "relaksohuni" derives from Italian "rilassare" (to ease, relieve, loosen, relax), which came from Latin "relaxare" (to loosen, slacken, unbend). | |||
| Basque | erlaxatu | ||
| The word "erlaxatu" is derived from the Proto-Basque root "-elax-", meaning "to be slack" or "to be weak." | |||
| Catalan | relaxar-se | ||
| The Catalan word "relaxar-se" comes from the Latin word "relaxare," meaning "to make loose or lax." | |||
| Croatian | opustiti | ||
| The term "opustiti" is derived from Proto-Slavic *opustiti, meaning "to become free" or "to abandon". | |||
| Danish | slap af | ||
| The phrase "slap af" literally means "slap off" but has come to mean "relax" in Danish slang, possibly due to its association with laziness. | |||
| Dutch | kom tot rust | ||
| "Kom tot rust" literally means "come to peace" in Dutch, implying a sense of finding tranquility and inner calm. | |||
| English | relax | ||
| "Relax" is derived from the Latin word "relaxare" meaning "to loosen" or "to make slack" | |||
| French | se détendre | ||
| "Se détendre" comes from the Latin "distendere," meaning "to stretch out, extend, or enlarge." | |||
| Frisian | ûntspanne | ||
| The Frisian "ûntspanne" means "to relax" but is also used in sailing to refer to a sheet of the sails that is untied. | |||
| Galician | relaxarse | ||
| The Galician word "relaxarse" comes from the Latin "relaxare", meaning "to loosen" or "to let go". | |||
| German | entspannen | ||
| The verb "entspannen" originally meant "to unharness," referring to the act of untying a horse from its harness. | |||
| Icelandic | slakaðu á | ||
| The verb "slakaðu á" is related to the word "slökku" which means "to loosen, slacken, relax". | |||
| Irish | scíth a ligean | ||
| The phrase "scíth a ligean" translates to "relax," literally meaning "rest of lying down." | |||
| Italian | rilassare | ||
| "Rilassare" comes from the Latin "relaxare," meaning "to loosen" or "to let go." | |||
| Luxembourgish | entspanen | ||
| The verb "entspanen" in Luxembourgish is also used to refer to the action of removing the tension from a rope or chain. | |||
| Maltese | irrilassa | ||
| The word "irrilassa" in Maltese is derived from the Italian word "rilassare," which means "to loosen" or "to slacken." | |||
| Norwegian | slappe av | ||
| "Slappe av" in Norwegian, meaning "to relax," is derived from the verb "å slappe" ("to slacken") and the preposition "av" ("off"), suggesting a release of tension or effort. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | relaxar | ||
| Relaxar in Portuguese also means 'to loosen', 'to release' or 'to reduce tension'. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | gabh fois | ||
| Scots Gaelic "gabh fois" may also mean to wait or expect. | |||
| Spanish | relajarse | ||
| The Spanish verb 'relajarse' originally meant 'to loosen ropes on a boat'. | |||
| Swedish | koppla av | ||
| The verb "koppla av" also means "to disconnect" or "to detach" something. | |||
| Welsh | ymlacio | ||
| The word 'ymlacio' in Welsh can also mean 'to melt' or 'to become soft', and comes from the Proto-Celtic root '*malaḱ-' meaning 'soft'. | |||
Relax in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | расслабіцца | ||
| The word "расслабіцца" can also mean to "give up" or "become weak" in Belarusian. | |||
| Bosnian | opusti se | ||
| The word 'opusti se' ('relax'), literally translated to 'put away oneself', suggests the action of detaching from a task to fully experience rest. | |||
| Bulgarian | отпуснете се | ||
| Отпуснете се is derived from a Slavic root meaning 'to let go' or 'to detach'. | |||
| Czech | odpočinout si | ||
| "Odpočinout si" derives from "odpočinek," formed from the prefix "od-," meaning "away," and root "počinek," meaning "rest," suggesting "restfulness away." | |||
| Estonian | lõõgastuda | ||
| Lõõgastuda literally translates to "set oneself on a loose coil/spring". | |||
| Finnish | rentoutua | ||
| The word 'rentoutua' comes from the word 'rentu,' which means 'loose' or 'slack'. | |||
| Hungarian | lazítson | ||
| The word "lazítson" is derived from the Hungarian word "laz", which means "slack" or "loose". | |||
| Latvian | atpūsties | ||
| The word "atpūsties" is derived from "atpūta," meaning rest or recreation. | |||
| Lithuanian | atsipalaiduoti | ||
| The word "atsipalaiduoti" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *k̂lei-, meaning "to lean" or "to recline". | |||
| Macedonian | опушти се | ||
| The word "опушти се" in Macedonian derives from the Old Church Slavonic word "opuštь" and also denotes "to be idle, to neglect". | |||
| Polish | zrelaksować się | ||
| The word "zrelaksować się" is derived from the French word "relaxer". It can also mean "to untie" or "to loosen" in Polish. | |||
| Romanian | relaxa | ||
| The Romanian "relaxa" derives from the French relaxer (to slacken) and ultimately from the Latin relaxare (to loosen). | |||
| Russian | расслабиться | ||
| The word "расслабиться" derives from the Proto-Slavic root *lab-, meaning "to grab", and also means "to soften" or "to slacken". | |||
| Serbian | опусти се | ||
| The word "опусти се" can also mean "to sit down" or "to descend". | |||
| Slovak | relaxovať | ||
| Slovak "relaxovať" comes from the Latin "relaxare", meaning "to loosen" or "to let go". | |||
| Slovenian | sprostite se | ||
| This word is derived from the verb 'sprostiti', which means 'to release' or 'to set free'. | |||
| Ukrainian | розслабитися | ||
| The verb "розслабитися" is formed from the prefix "роз-" (apart), and the verb "слабити" (to weaken), expressing the action of relieving tension or strain. | |||
Relax in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | আরাম | ||
| আরাম is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘rama’, meaning ‘delight’ or ‘pleasure’. | |||
| Gujarati | આરામ કરો | ||
| "આરામ કરો" in Gujarati literally means to "take rest" or "repose" and ultimately comes from the Sanskrit word "राम" (raam) meaning "to rest or enjoy". | |||
| Hindi | आराम करें | ||
| आराम करें comes from the Persian word "aram" meaning "rest" and can also refer to "comfort" or "ease". | |||
| Kannada | ವಿಶ್ರಾಂತಿ | ||
| Malayalam | ശാന്തമാകൂ | ||
| Marathi | आराम | ||
| The Marathi word "आराम" (ārama) is related to the Sanskrit "aram" (अरम) meaning to rest, and to the Hindi word "आराम" (ārām) meaning comfort. | |||
| Nepali | आराम गर्नुहोस् | ||
| आराम गर्नुहोस् literally means 'to take a rest' and can also refer to 'relieving oneself', a euphemism for going to the toilet. | |||
| Punjabi | ਸ਼ਾਂਤ ਹੋ ਜਾਓ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | සන්සුන් වන්න | ||
| The Sinhala word "සන්සුන්" comes from the Pali "santuṭṭha" meaning "contentment" and "well-being." | |||
| Tamil | ஓய்வெடுங்கள் | ||
| Telugu | విశ్రాంతి తీసుకోండి | ||
| Urdu | آرام کرو | ||
| The literal meaning of | |||
Relax in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 放松 | ||
| 放松 in Chinese also means to loosen a person's bond or release the string of a bow. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 放鬆 | ||
| "放鬆" also means "let loose" in Chinese, indicating the release of emotional or physical tension. | |||
| Japanese | リラックス | ||
| リラックス also means "to loosen up," and comes from the Dutch word "relaxeeren," which means to let go. | |||
| Korean | 편하게 하다 | ||
| "편하게 하다" originally meant "to make someone comfortable" but has evolved to also mean "to relax". | |||
| Mongolian | тайвшрах | ||
| The word "тайвшрах" can also mean "to recover from illness or injury" in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | သက်တောင့်သက်သာနေပါ | ||
| The word is a compound of three words meaning 'life', 'rise' and 'peace' | |||
Relax in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | bersantai | ||
| The word "bersantai" is derived from the Sanskrit word "śānta" (meaning "peaceful, calm"), and also means "to sit down" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | santai wae | ||
| The word "santai wae" in Javanese has its roots in the Sanskrit word "santar" meaning "peace" or "calm". | |||
| Khmer | បន្ធូរអារម្មណ៍ | ||
| Lao | ຜ່ອນຄາຍ | ||
| The word "ຜ່ອນຄາຍ" is a compound composed of the verb "ຜ່ອນ" (to release) and the noun "ຄາຍ" (knot or bundle), hence it means to "untie" or "unwind". Alternatively it can also mean to "feel comfortable" or "at ease". | |||
| Malay | berehat | ||
| The word 'berehat' is also used to refer to a stop or break, such as a rest stop on a road trip. | |||
| Thai | ผ่อนคลาย | ||
| The word "ผ่อนคลาย" (relax) comes from the Sanskrit word "pramodana," which also means "joy" or "delight." | |||
| Vietnamese | thư giãn | ||
| The word thư giãn originally meant to slacken the bow after archery and only began to mean "relax" around the 19th century. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magpahinga | ||
Relax in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | rahatlayın | ||
| 'Rahatlayın' originates from the Arabic word 'rahat', meaning 'comfort' or 'ease', and shares a similar root with the Russian word 'расслабляться' (rasslablyatsya), also meaning 'relax'. | |||
| Kazakh | босаңсыңыз | ||
| Kyrgyz | эс алуу | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "эс алуу" also means "to take a break" or "to rest". | |||
| Tajik | ором бошед | ||
| The word "Ором бошед" in Tajik literally means "Be at ease" or "Take it easy". | |||
| Turkmen | dynç al | ||
| Uzbek | rohatlaning | ||
| The word "Rohatlaning" can also refer to the process of "calming down" or "soothing". | |||
| Uyghur | ئارام ئېلىڭ | ||
Relax in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hoʻomaha | ||
| In Hawaiian mythology, "hoʻomaha" also refers to a deity associated with rest and relaxation. | |||
| Maori | whakatā | ||
| Whakatā also means 'to become uncoiled' or 'to stretch out' | |||
| Samoan | malolo | ||
| Malolo may also refer to a type of fish in Samoa, or a kind of woven mat | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | magpahinga | ||
| "Magpahinga" is a Tagalog word derived from the root word "pahinga" which means "rest" or "repose". | |||
Relax in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jurasina | ||
| Guarani | rekopy'aguapy | ||
Relax in International Languages
| Esperanto | malstreĉiĝi | ||
| The Esperanto word "malstreĉiĝi" shares its root "streĉ" with words like "strajki" (to strike) and "stres" (stress). | |||
| Latin | relaxat | ||
| Relaxat has roots in both "lax" and "lacero", meaning "loose" and "to tear", respectively. | |||
Relax in Others Languages
| Greek | χαλαρώστε | ||
| Χαλαρώστε, from "chaláo", "to lower or loosen," originally referred to untying sandals. | |||
| Hmong | so | ||
| The word "so" in Hmong has a rich history, being derived from an Old Hmong word meaning "to ease" and also sharing a common root with the word for "peace." | |||
| Kurdish | nermkirin | ||
| The word "nermkirin" in Kurdish can also mean "to calm down" or "to ease off". | |||
| Turkish | rahatlayın | ||
| The word "Rahatlayın" literally means "make your stomach comfortable" in Turkish. | |||
| Xhosa | phola | ||
| Phola can also mean to soften, to become limp or flaccid, or to be gentle. | |||
| Yiddish | אָפּרוען | ||
| The verb "אָפּרוען" also derives from the Proto-Indo-European noun "*h₃reu̯s-", meaning "space" or "clearing." | |||
| Zulu | nethezeka | ||
| While "Netha" (relax) means "let go" in Zulu, the word does not originate from this. | |||
| Assamese | আৰাম | ||
| Aymara | jurasina | ||
| Bhojpuri | आराम | ||
| Dhivehi | ހަމަޖެހިލުން | ||
| Dogri | अराम | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | magpahinga | ||
| Guarani | rekopy'aguapy | ||
| Ilocano | agataat | ||
| Krio | rilaks | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | حەسانەوە | ||
| Maithili | आराम | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯣꯊꯥꯎ | ||
| Mizo | chawl | ||
| Oromo | of gadhiisuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆରାମ କର | ||
| Quechua | samay | ||
| Sanskrit | विनोदयन | ||
| Tatar | йомшарыгыз | ||
| Tigrinya | ተዘናጋዕ | ||
| Tsonga | tshamiseka | ||