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How to Say ‘To relax.’ in French

De se détendre.

duh say day-tawnd-reh

[duh say day-tawnd-reh]

💬 Usage Tip: [Se détendre] means [to relax], and the little [se] stays with the verb as part of the expression. When the subject changes, that piece changes too: [je me détends], [tu te détends], [nous nous détendons].

Phrase Breakdown

De

[duh]

to

Used to indicate a goal or direction

Example

Pour manger.

To eat.

se

[say]

relax

To reduce tension or stress

Example

Il aime bien se détendre après le travail.

He likes to relax after work.

détendre

[day-tawnd-reh]

unwind

To take one's ease or to relax

Example

Je me détends en lisant.

I unwind by reading.

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