1.
to cool, to chill
To lower the temperature of something.
ビールを冷やす。
To chill beer.
スイカを冷蔵庫で冷やす。
To chill watermelon in the refrigerator.
氷で足を冷やした。
I iced my foot.
2.
to calm down
To reduce excitement or tension (figurative).
頭を冷やす。
To cool one's head (calm down).
少し外に出て頭を冷やしてきなさい。
Go outside for a bit and cool your head.
肝を冷やした。
I had a close call.
肝を冷やす literally means "to chill one's liver" and is an idiom meaning to be frightened or have a scare.
TRANSITIVITY PAIR:
- 冷やす (transitive): to cool (something)
- 冷える (intransitive): to get cold (on its own)
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 頭を冷やす: to cool one's head (calm down)
- 肝を冷やす: to be frightened, have a close call
- ビールを冷やす: to chill beer
RELATED WORDS:
- 冷たい: cold (to the touch)
- 冷める: to cool down (intrans., temperature or feelings)
- 冷ます: to let cool, to dampen (enthusiasm)
Note: 冷やす focuses on actively cooling something, while 冷ます implies letting something cool naturally.