Portuguese Phrase
Não, só relaxando.
Meaning
Literally, ‘No, just relaxing.’ The speaker is politely declining an invitation or answering a question by saying they are only taking it easy at the moment.
When to use
Use this short reply when someone asks what you’re doing, if they invite you to do something, or when you want to emphasize that you’re not busy with anything else—perfect for casual, friendly conversations.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nãosórelaxando
Não (negation)
‘Não’ is the standard adverb for negation, placed at the beginning of the sentence to deny or refuse.
Só (only)
‘Só’ is an adverb meaning ‘only’ or ‘just’; it modifies the verb that follows.
Gerúndio (relaxando)
‘Relaxando’ is the gerund form of the verb ‘relaxar’, used to describe an ongoing action, similar to the English ‘-ing’ form.
🗨In Conversation
Você quer sair para o cinema hoje?
Do you want to go to the movies today?
Não, só relaxando.
No, just relaxing.
✕Common Mistakes
não só relaxando.
Missing the comma changes the meaning to ‘not only relaxing’, which is the opposite of what you intend.
não, só relaxar.
‘Relaxar’ is the infinitive; the gerund ‘relaxando’ is needed to describe an ongoing action.
não só relaxando.
Without the pause, it can be misheard as ‘não só’ (not only) followed by ‘relaxando’, again altering the meaning.
↔Alternatives
Não, estou só descansando.
No, I'm just resting.
Não, só estou relaxando.
No, I'm only relaxing.
Não, só me estou relaxando.
No, I'm just relaxing.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, short, informal answers like ‘Não, só relaxando.’ are common in everyday chat. The comma after ‘Não’ signals a brief pause, mirroring how speakers naturally separate the negation from the explanation. Using the gerund (relaxando) conveys a sense of the activity being in progress, which is typical in casual Portuguese.