relaxarse

Relajarse is a Spanish pronominal verb meaning to relax oneself, to unwind, or to become calm and less tense. It can refer to physical relaxation, mental calm, or the act of letting go of stress. The verb is used in both everyday and literary language, often with phrases like relajarse un poco or tomarse un descanso.

Etymology and spelling note: Relajarse comes from the verb relajar (to relax) plus the reflexive pronoun se. The standard spelling in Spanish is relajarse. The form relaxarse with x is not normative in Spanish and is generally considered a misspelling or a nonstandard adaptation found in informal or anglicized contexts.

Conjugation and usage: Relajarse is a regular AR verb in its conjugation, with reflexive pronouns. Present indicative: me relajo, te relajas, se relaja, nos relajamos, os relajáis, se relajan. Preterite: me relajé, te relajaste, se relajó, nos relajamos, os relajasteis, se relajaron. Subjunctive present: me relaje, te relajes, se relaje, nos relajemos, os relajéis, se relajen. Imperative: tú relájate, usted relaje, vosotros relajaos, ustedes relájense. In sentences, it commonly appears with a reflexive pronoun before the verb or attached in affirmative commands (relájate, relájense).

Usage notes and related terms: Relajarse can be literal (to relax muscles after exercise) or figurative (to calm down, to unwind after stress). Related terms include desestresarse (to de-stress), descansar (to rest), and tomar un descanso. In many contexts, it pairs with activities like escuchar música, meditar, o dar un paseo to facilitate relaxation.