1.
to make oneself comfortable; to relax; to be at ease
Used reflexively to mean making oneself comfortable or relaxing one's posture or attitude. Often said as an invitation to someone to relax.
どうぞ、楽にしてください。
Please make yourself comfortable.
ネクタイを外して楽にした。
I took off my tie and relaxed.
面接の前に「楽にしてくださいね」と言われて、少し緊張がほぐれた。
Being told 'please relax' before the interview eased my tension a little.
2.
to ease; to relieve; to make easier
To reduce difficulty, pain, or burden for someone or something.
薬で痛みを楽にする。
To ease the pain with medicine.
仕事の負担を楽にするために、新しいシステムを導入した。
We introduced a new system to ease the work burden.
呼吸を楽にするために、枕を高くして寝るといい。
To make breathing easier, it helps to sleep with a higher pillow.
Expression combining 楽 (comfortable; easy) + にする (to make into). Very common in everyday conversation, especially in hospitality and medical contexts.
Sense 1 is the most frequent use — inviting someone to relax or describing making oneself comfortable. The phrase 楽にしてください is one of the most common things heard when visiting someone's home, entering an interview, or sitting in a doctor's office.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 楽にしてください: please make yourself comfortable
- 気持ちを楽にする: to ease one's mind
- 体を楽にする: to relax one's body
- 負担を楽にする: to lighten a burden
RELATED EXPRESSIONS:
- 楽になる: to become easier/more comfortable (intransitive)
- 気楽にする: to take it easy; to be casual — focuses more on a carefree attitude
SIMILAR WORDS:
- くつろぐ: to relax; to feel at home — specifically about relaxing in a comfortable space
- リラックスする: to relax — loanword, more casual, often about deliberate relaxation