In this mini episode, you will learn the common expression “Take it easy.”
Episode 420 of the Everybody ESL podcast is a mini episode that teaches you the common expression “Take it easy.” Send your questions about English and your comments and suggestions to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. (And let me know if you’d like to record the introduction to a future episode.)
Intro
“Hi, everybody! This is Kirsten, from China. And you are listening to Everybody ESL.”
Welcome to episode 420 of Everybody ESL, the podcast for everybody who wants to improve their English, practice their English, or just learn more English. My name is Ben, and I have a mini episode for you today, where I am going to teach you about one English topic. You can subscribe to the Everybody ESL podcast at Apple podcasts and wherever you find your podcasts. If you like Everybody ESL, leave it a good review so other people can find out about it too. And if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for me, please send an email to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. Okay! Let’s get on with this mini episode.
The episode
In this episode, I am going to teach you a very common English phrase. The phrase is “Take it easy.” Take it easy. That’s t-a-k-e, i-t, e-a-s-y. Take it easy.
What does it mean to say, “Take it easy”? When do we use this expression?
“Take it easy” means a lot of related things. It means “Don’t work too hard.” It means “Don’t be upset.” It means “Don’t worry.”
Basically, “Take it easy” means “Relax. Have an easy time. Don’t have a difficult time. Don’t be stressed. Instead, relax and have an easy time.”
You will hear people use “Take it easy” as a regular verb phrase. And so they might say something like this: “Last weekend, I didn’t really do anything. I decided to take it easy.” I decided to take it easy. When they say, “I decided to take it easy,” they mean “I just relaxed. I didn’t really do anything. I didn’t work around the house. I didn’t do a lot of chores. I didn’t really do anything. I was peaceful and relaxed.”
We also use “Take it easy” as a kind of advice or suggestion. If somebody is very worried or very upset, you might say to them, “Hey, take it easy. It’s okay. You don’t need to be so worried or so upset.” Again, “Take it easy” means “Relax. Try to have an easy time. Don’t be upset, don’t be worried, don’t be stressed. Instead, be easy. Be relaxed and peaceful.”
(It is true when somebody is very worried or upset or angry, they probably do not want to hear someone say, “Take it easy.” That might not sound like welcome advice. Even though that’s true, people do sometimes give that advice when their friends are worried or upset about something. I think it is okay to tell your friend, “Take it easy” if he or she is very worried or upset. But you should try to say it in a friendly way, not in a way that sounds critical. So, you can say something like this: “I know you’re upset about that, but try to take it easy. Let’s try to relax and think about the situation in a calm and peaceful way.”)
You will also hear people use “Take it easy” as a friendly, casual way of saying goodbye. If someone is saying goodbye to their friend, they might say, “Well, take it easy.” That is a friendly, casual way of saying, “I hope you have a good time. I hope you have a relaxing, peaceful time without any stress.”
One thing you might be asking when you think about this phrase, “Take it easy”—you might be asking, “What is it? Why do you say, ‘Take it easy”? What is it?”
The answer might not be satisfying. Because the answer is it doesn’t really mean anything. But you need to have that word in there. If you say the phrase without it, it will sound very strange. And I don’t think anybody will understand what you mean. And so you have to say, “Take it easy.” You cannot say, “Take that easy” or “Take this thing easy.” Or “Take the day easy.” No, this phrase only works if you say it just like that: “Take it easy.”
That is “Take it easy,” a very common phrase that I think you should know.
Outro
This is the end of episode 420 of Everybody ESL. Remember: if you have any questions about English, or if you have comments for me, or if you would like to record an introduction that I can play at the beginning of future episodes—the same way Kirsten recorded the introduction you heard at the beginning of this episode—send an email to EverybodyESL@gmail.com. I’ll be back soon with a new episode. And until then, keep going, keep practicing, and keep learning. I’ll see you soon. Goodbye!