Spanish · Emotions & Descriptions

"Calm down" in Spanish: cálmate

cálmate

Say it: KAHL-mah-tehphrase/ˈkal.ma.te/

Calm down in Spanish is cálmate. Say Cálmate, por favor. Keep a soft voice—cálmate can sound sharp if tone is hard.

Friend panic

Cálmate. Todavía hay tiempo.
Calm down. There’s still time.
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How to pronounce cálmate

Say it

KAHL-mah-teh

/ˈkal.ma.te/

KAHL-mah-teh. Stress KAHL. Soft final e.

"Calm down" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
cálmatecalm down (tú)

Friends and family.

cálmate, por favorcalm down, please

Softer request.

tranquilo/aeasy / calm

Neighbor word; not the headword.

respira. cálmatebreathe. calm down

Supportive coaching.

How to use cálmate in real life

  1. 1Friend panic

    Cálmate. Todavía hay tiempo.

    Calm down. There’s still time.

    Cálmate + short comfort.

  2. 2Before a call

    Cálmate un poco antes de hablar.

    Calm down a bit before you speak.

    Cálmate un poco softens.

  3. 3Sports nerves

    Oye, cálmate. Es solo un juego.

    Hey, calm down. It’s only a game.

    Oye + cálmate among friends.

Mistakes English speakers make with cálmate

Incorrect: Cálmense. (to one close friend)

Correct: Cálmate.

This page’s headword is cálmate (tú), not cálmense.

Incorrect: Calm down.

Correct: Cálmate.

Use cálmate, not English.

Good to know

Cálmate is the tú command common with friends in Latin America. Soften with por favor or un poco. Harsh tone can make cálmate feel scolding—watch register.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Helping a friend before an interview

  1. ChatPal

    Respiramos juntos. Cálmate un segundo.

    Let’s breathe together. Calm down a second.

  2. You

    OK. Cálmate, me digo yo también.

    OK. Calm down, I tell myself too.

  3. ChatPal

    Bien. Cálmate y lee tu primer punto.

    Good. Calm down and read your first point.

  4. You

    Listo. Entro en cinco.

    Ready. I go in in five.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Calm down" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Calm down" in Spanish

Is cálmate formal?

No. Cálmate is tú—friends and family. Soften with por favor.

Why the accent?

Cálmate needs the written accent on cá.

Can it sound rude?

Yes if tone is sharp. Soften cálmate with un poco or por favor.

What about tranquilo?

Tranquilo/a is a neighbor; this page teaches cálmate.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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