From horses in English to automobiles in Argentina, this idiom is just what we need when the other person is too angry or overreacting. As an imperative, we often use it like this:

• -Eh, pará, tranquilo/a, bajá un cambio.

Another imperative variation of this one is “Pará la moto” [stop the motorbike]

• -Eh, amigo, pará la moto. ¿Qué te pasa?

If we sense we should calm down or another person should take things more slowly, we also use it in phrases like:

• Estoy laburando mucho. Tengo que bajar un cambio.
• Relajate. Me parece que tenés que bajar un cambio. Estás muy acelerado/a.

Hope you like this one. There are a few others HERE.

Happy Spanish learning,

You might also want to read these articles:

• Know thyself
  Take this questionnaire to know yourself better as a learner and leverage your learning.
• Redefining what a lesson is
  It’s time for a full disclaimer. What does learning a language look like in 2025?
• ATR | A Todo Ritmo
  Learn what ATR means and when/how it’s used in Argentina.
• Self-talk
  In this article, we talk about the convenience of self-talk in our Spanish practices.
• Little wonders
  This post will give you some short phrases to react naturally in conversations.
• Expressions with DE
  Let’s dive in into a few everyday expressions with DE, shall we?