Returning to Work After a Break | Learn Spanish in English

Sentence explanations

1. ¿Te sientes listo para volver a trabajar?

   Do you feel ready to work again?

   Te sientes

   you feel

   listo

   ready

   volver a

   do again

   trabajar

   work

   More detail

   Te sientes means “you feel” here. Sientes is the present-tense tú form of sentir (“to feel”); te is the reflexive pronoun referring to the same person as the subject. The form is informal singular; a formal singular version is se siente. Example: ¿Te sientes bien? — “Do you feel well?” Listo means “ready” here. It is an adjective describing the person addressed and is masculine singular in this form; the corresponding forms are lista for feminine singular, listos for masculine plural, and listas for feminine plural. Example: Estoy lista. — “I am ready.” Volver a expresses doing something again: volver a + infinitive. The a is part of this reusable construction, and the following verb stays in the infinitive. In the sentence, volver a supplies the meaning “again,” not trabajar by itself. Example: Quiero volver a estudiar. — “I want to study again.” Trabajar is the infinitive “to work.” After volver a, it names the activity that is repeated. Example: Necesito trabajar. — “I need to work.” Together, ¿Te sientes listo asks whether the addressed person feels ready, and para volver a trabajar specifies what they are ready to do again. The complete meaning is “Do you feel ready to work again?”

2. Me siento mejor ahora.

   I feel better now.

   Me siento

   I feel

   mejor

   better

   ahora

   now

   More detail

   Me siento means “I feel” here. The verb is sentirse, the pronominal form of sentir used for a person’s physical or emotional state. siento is the present indicative first-person singular form, and me matches the “I” who experiences the state. Compare Me siento bien (“I feel well”) and Me siento cansado (“I feel tired”; the adjective can vary according to the speaker’s gender). mejor means “better” here. It is the comparative form related to bueno (“good”): bueno → mejor. It compares the speaker’s current state with an earlier or otherwise understood state; it does not itself specify exactly what caused the improvement. A reusable pattern is Me siento mejor que antes — “I feel better than before.” ahora is an adverb meaning “now,” locating the feeling in the present moment. For example, Ahora me siento bien means “Now I feel well.” Together, Me siento mejor ahora says that the speaker’s present condition feels improved compared with an earlier or understood condition: “I feel better now.”

3. ¿Volvemos al escritorio?

   Should we go back to the desk?

   Volvemos

   we return; we go back

   escritorio

   desk

   More detail

   Volvemos comes from volver, “to return” or “to go back.” It is the present indicative form for nosotros/nosotras (“we”): volvemos. In this question, the present form proposes a joint action, so the question means “Should we go back?” Example: Volvemos mañana. — “We’re coming back tomorrow.” Escritorio means “desk.” It is a masculine noun, so the singular definite article is el: el escritorio. Al is the contraction of a + el, meaning “to the” here. Example: El libro está en el escritorio. — “The book is on the desk.” Together, ¿Volvemos al escritorio? means “Should we go back to the desk?” The question presents returning to the desk as a shared action for the speaker and the listener.

4. El descanso terminó, así que vamos.

   The break is over, so let's get moving.

   descanso

   break

   terminó

   ended; was over

   así que

   so; therefore

   vamos

   let’s go; let’s get moving

   More detail

   descanso means “break” here. It is a masculine singular noun; its plural is descansos. The article el agrees with it: el descanso. Example: El descanso empieza a las diez. — “The break starts at ten.” terminó is the preterite form of terminar for a third-person singular subject: “ended” or, as here, “was over.” The subject is el descanso, so the singular form is used. Compare present termina — “ends/is ending.” Example: La reunión terminó. — “The meeting ended.” así que is a connector meaning “so” or “therefore.” It introduces the result of the preceding statement: the break ended, so the speakers move on. Example: Es tarde, así que nos vamos. — “It is late, so we are leaving.” vamos is the first-person plural present form of ir, “to go.” In this utterance it functions as an inclusive suggestion or exhortation: “let’s go” or “let’s get moving.” The same form can also simply mean “we go” in another context; here the fixed translation supports the suggestion meaning. Example: Vamos al escritorio. — “Let’s go to the desk.” Together, El descanso terminó says “The break is over,” and así que vamos gives the consequence and suggestion: “so let’s get moving.”

5. Necesito el archivo para la siguiente tarea.

   I need the file for the next task.

   Necesito

   I need

   archivo

   file

   para

   for

   siguiente

   next; following

   tarea

   task

   More detail

   Necesito is the first-person singular present form of necesitar: “I need.” The subject yo is understood from the verb ending, so this form is used when the speaker is the one who needs something. Example: Necesito ayuda. — “I need help.” archivo means “file” here. It is a masculine singular noun, as shown by the article el. Its plural is archivos. Example: El archivo está aquí. — “The file is here.” para introduces the intended purpose or task connected with something. Here, it connects the file with the task for which it is needed. Example: Este documento es para la clase. — “This document is for the class.” siguiente means “next” or “following” here. It is singular because it modifies singular tarea; siguiente has the same form for masculine and feminine singular nouns, while the plural form is siguientes. Example: la siguiente página — “the next page.” tarea means “task” or “piece of work.” It is a feminine singular noun; its plural is tareas. Example: Tengo una tarea. — “I have a task.” Together, Necesito el archivo means “I need the file,” and para la siguiente tarea specifies the purpose: “for the next task.” The complete utterance is: “I need the file for the next task.”

6. Está sobre el escritorio.

   It's on the desk.

   Está

   is located

   sobre

   on

   escritorio

   desk

   More detail

   Está is the present-tense, third-person singular form of estar, used here to express location: “is located” or simply “is.” Spanish commonly uses estar for the location of people and things. The subject is not named in this sentence. Compare está for a singular subject with están for a plural subject. Sobre is a preposition meaning “on” here. It places something on the surface of another thing. In other spatial contexts, sobre can mean “over.” Example: El libro está sobre la mesa. — “The book is on the table.” Escritorio means “desk.” It is a masculine noun; its usual singular phrase with the definite article is el escritorio, and its plural is los escritorios. In the fixed sentence, el marks the noun phrase as definite, while escritorio is the noun itself. Together, Está sobre el escritorio means “It’s on the desk.” The reusable pattern is estar + sobre + noun, meaning that a subject is located on a desk or another surface.

7. Ahora puedo concentrarme mejor.

   I can focus better now.

   Ahora

   now

   puedo

   I can

   concentrarme

   focus

   mejor

   better

   More detail

   Ahora places the action in the present moment: “now.” It is a useful time adverb and normally does not change form. Example: Ahora trabajo. — “I am working now.” puedo is the first-person singular present form of poder, “to be able to” or “can.” The form identifies the speaker as the person with the ability. Puedo is commonly followed by an infinitive: Puedo ayudar. — “I can help.” concentrarme means “to focus” here. It consists of the infinitive concentrar plus the attached reflexive pronoun me; the pronoun refers to the speaker. With poder, the infinitive can follow the conjugated verb, so the pattern is puedo + infinitive: Puedo concentrarme. — “I can focus.” The attached me is part of the observed word; it is not a separate word in this form. mejor modifies the focusing action as an adverb and means “better” or “more effectively” here. In this use it is the comparative form related to bien (“well”): bien → mejor. Example: Hoy duermo mejor. — “Today I sleep better.” Together, Ahora puedo concentrarme mejor means “I can focus better now.” Ahora sets the time, puedo expresses the speaker’s ability, concentrarme names the action performed by the speaker, and mejor compares the quality of that focusing with an earlier or other situation. The period closes the statement.

8. Entonces, empecemos con el archivo.

   Then let's start with the file.

   Entonces

   then

   empecemos

   let’s start

   archivo

   file

   More detail

   Entonces means “then” here and links this step to what came before. It can indicate the next action in a sequence: Entonces, seguimos. — “Then, we continue.” In this sentence it is a discourse connector, not part of the noun phrase that follows. empecemos comes from empezar, “to start” or “to begin.” Its form is the first-person plural present subjunctive, used here as an exhortation: “let’s start.” The ending -emos identifies “we,” and the spelling c reflects the change in empezar before e; compare empezamos for ordinary present or preterite indicative contexts. Example: Empecemos mañana. — “Let’s start tomorrow.” archivo is a masculine noun meaning “file.” Its plural is archivos. In the utterance, el archivo means “the file”; the article el agrees with this masculine singular noun. Example: El archivo está aquí. — “The file is here.” Together, empecemos con el archivo means “let’s start with the file”: con introduces the item used as the starting point, and el identifies the file as a particular one. With Entonces, the complete utterance is “Then let’s start with the file.”