Breakdown of Возьми себя в руки и говори спокойно.
говорить
to speak, to talk
спокойно
calmly; it is calm
взять себя в руки
to pull oneself together
Questions & Answers about Возьми себя в руки и говори спокойно.
What does the phrase взять себя в руки literally mean?
Literally, it translates to "to take oneself into one's hands." It is the standard Russian idiom for "to pull oneself together," "to get a grip," or "to take control of one's emotions."
Why do we use the perfective verb возьми but the imperfective verb говори for these commands?
Возьми is perfective because "getting a grip" is a single, result-focused action you need to achieve right now. Говори, on the other hand, is imperfective because "speaking calmly" is an ongoing, continuous process that the speaker wants you to maintain after you calm down.
If I am speaking to a group and use the plural возьмите, do I need to change себя to a plural form?
No, the reflexive pronoun себя never changes for person or number. Whether you use the informal singular Возьми себя в руки or the plural/formal Возьмите себя в руки, the word себя stays exactly the same.
Why is it в руки (accusative case) instead of в руках (prepositional case)?
Even though this is an abstract idiom, it still follows the grammar rules for motion and direction. You are taking your emotions into your hands, which implies a change of state or direction, requiring the accusative case. If it were в руках, it would describe a static location, meaning something is already resting in your hands.
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