Translation guide
The English verb 'relax' covers both physical and mental states, as well as the action of making something less tense. In Japanese, different words are used depending on whether you mean 'to rest', 'to loosen up mentally', 'to ease rules', or 'to calm down'. This guide organizes the most useful expressions for learners.
家でゆっくりしたい。
I want to relax at home.
落ち着いて！
Relax! (calm down)
Expressing that you are taking it easy, resting your body or mind, often in a leisurely way.
The most common word for relaxing at home or in a comfortable place. Implies feeling at ease and unhurried.
家でゆっくりくつろいだ。
I relaxed at home.
休日は家でくつろぐのが好きです。
I like relaxing at home on my days off.
To take it easy, without hurry or stress. Often used for a relaxed pace or atmosphere.
今日は一日中のんびりした。
I relaxed all day today.
温泉でのんびりしたい。
I want to relax in a hot spring.
A loanword from English, commonly used for both mental and physical relaxation. Slightly more modern/casual feel.
音楽を聴いてリラックスした。
I relaxed by listening to music.
To rest, take a break. More about resting from work or activity than 'unwinding'.
ちょっと休もう。
Let's relax for a bit.
Telling someone to calm down, not be so tense, or to ease their mind.
Directly borrowed from English, very common in casual speech to tell someone to relax mentally.
緊張しないで、リラックスして。
Don't be nervous, relax.
Means 'calm down' or 'compose yourself'. Used when someone is agitated, nervous, or panicking.
落ち着いて、深呼吸して。
Relax, take a deep breath.
Literally 'make your mind easy'. Used to tell someone to not overthink or worry.
気を楽にして、楽しんで。
Relax and have fun.
Literally 'take the strength out of your shoulders'. A figurative way to say 'relax, don't be so tense'.
肩の力を抜いて、自然に話してください。
Relax and speak naturally.
Making regulations, standards, or discipline less strict.
To become less alert or careful, often with negative consequences.
To let one's guard down, relax one's attention. Often used in warnings.
気を緩めると失敗する。
If you relax your attention, you'll make a mistake.
To be off one's guard, be careless. Stronger nuance of negligence.
油断してはいけない。
You must not relax your guard.
くつろぐ implies physical comfort in a place; のんびりする focuses on a leisurely, unhurried state; リラックスする is a general loanword for mental/physical relaxation. All can overlap but have different nuances.
While リラックスする is common for personal relaxation, it is not used for relaxing rules or restrictions. Use 緩める or 緩和する instead.
お風呂でくつろいだ。
I relaxed in the bath.
肩の力を抜いて。
Relax your shoulders.