About This Lesson
Use Taking a Short Break to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
疲れました。
tsoo-kah-reh-mah-SHEE-tah. I feel tired.
B
短い休憩を取りましょう。
mee-jee-KAH-ee kyoo-KEH oh toh-ree-mah-SHOH. Let's take a short break.
A
この椅子は空いていますか。
koh-noh ee-SOO-wah AH-ee-teh ee-MAHSS kah? Is this chair free?
B
ここに座ってもいいです。
koh-koh-nee saht-teh-moh EE dehss. You can sit here.
A
休憩用に小さなおやつを持ってきました。
kyoo-KEH-yoo nee CHEE-sah-nah oh-YAHT-soo oh moht-teh-kee-mah-SHEE-tah. I brought a small snack for the break.
B
水を取ってきます。
MEE-zoo oh toht-teh-kee-MAHSS. I'll get some water.
A
ここは静かですね。
koh-koh-wah shee-ZOO-kah deh-neh. This place feels quiet.
B
では、ここで少し休めます。
deh-wah, koh-koh-deh soo-KOH-shee yah-soo-meh-MAHSS. Then we can rest here for a bit.Word by Word
疲れ
疲れ is the part of 疲れました that expresses being tired in this dialogue. It reports the speaker’s tired condition. A reusable pattern is 疲れました。 when politely saying that you are tired.
ました
ました gives 疲れました a polite past-time form, which here reports the speaker’s tired condition politely. It follows the stem 疲れ in this expression. A common reuse pattern is a verb stem followed by ました to describe a completed event or past condition.
短い
短い means “short” and describes the break in 短い休憩. It appears directly before the noun it describes. A reusable pattern is 短い + a time period or activity when describing something brief.
休憩
休憩 means a break or rest period in 短い休憩を取りましょう. It is the thing being taken in this suggestion. A common reuse pattern is 休憩を取る for taking a break.
を
を marks 休憩 as the object of 取りましょう in 休憩を取りましょう. The phrase means “let’s take a break.” A reusable pattern is nounを + an action verb when the noun receives the action.
取り
取り contributes the meaning “take” in 休憩を取りましょう. It is the form that connects 休憩を with ましょう to make a polite suggestion. A common reuse pattern is 休憩を取りましょう when suggesting a break.
ましょう
ましょう turns 取り into the polite suggestion 取りましょう, meaning “let’s take.” It presents the action as something the speaker and listener can do together. A reusable pattern is verb stem + ましょう for a polite suggestion.
この
この means “this” and identifies the chair as the one near or relevant to the speaker in この椅子. It comes directly before the noun it describes. A reusable pattern is この + noun when pointing out a specific nearby thing.
椅子
椅子 means “chair” in この椅子は空いていますか. It is the item whose availability is being asked about. A common reuse pattern is 椅子に座る for sitting on a chair.
は
は marks この椅子 as the topic in この椅子は空いていますか. The question is about whether this chair is available. A reusable pattern is topicは + information or a question about that topic.
空いて
In 空いています, 空いて contributes the state of being unoccupied or available, so この椅子は空いていますか asks whether the chair is free. It is linked with います to describe the continuing state. A common reuse pattern is 空いていますか when checking whether a seat or place is available.
います
In 空いています, います helps express that the chair remains in the state described by 空いて. The whole expression 空いています means “is free” or “is available” here. A reusable pattern is a te-form followed by います to describe a continuing state.
か
か marks この椅子は空いていますか as a question. It changes the statement about the chair’s availability into a polite question. A common reuse pattern is a polite sentence followed by か when asking for information.
ここ
ここ means “here” and identifies the place where the listener may sit in ここに座ってもいいです. It refers to the location relevant to the speakers. A reusable pattern is ここに + an action or movement verb when indicating this place as the destination or location.
に
に marks ここ as the place connected with sitting in ここに座ってもいいです. The whole phrase means that the listener may sit here. A common reuse pattern is placeに座る for saying where someone sits.
座って
座って contributes “sit” in 座ってもいいです. Together with もいいです, it forms a permission expression meaning “may sit” or “it is okay to sit.” A reusable pattern is verb te-form + もいいです for asking or giving permission.
も
も is part of the permission pattern 座ってもいいです. With 座って and いいです, it helps frame sitting as an allowed action, so the whole phrase means “you can sit.” A common reuse pattern is verb te-form + もいいです when saying that an action is permitted.
いい
いい means “okay” in the permission expression 座ってもいいです. The whole expression says that sitting here is acceptable. A reusable pattern is verb te-form + もいいです for saying that something is okay to do.
です
です makes 座ってもいいです polite. It completes the polite statement that sitting here is allowed. A common reuse pattern is です at the end of a polite statement.
用
用 contributes the idea of intended use in 休憩用に小さなおやつを持ってきました. Together, 休憩用に means “for the break,” showing the purpose of the snack. A reusable pattern is noun用に + an item or action when something is intended for a particular purpose.
小さな
小さな means “small” and describes おやつ in 小さなおやつ. It appears directly before the noun. A reusable pattern is 小さな + noun when describing a small item.
おやつ
おやつ means “snack” in 小さなおやつ. It is the food the speaker brought for the break. A common reuse pattern is おやつを食べる for eating a snack.
持って
In 持ってきました, 持って contributes the idea of carrying or having the snack with one. It connects with きました, and the whole expression means “brought.” A common reuse pattern is an itemを持って + a movement expression when carrying something somewhere.
きました
In 持ってきました, きました indicates coming to the current place with the item, so the whole expression means “brought.” It is the polite past-time part of this expression. A reusable pattern is itemを持ってきました when saying that you brought an item.
水
水 means “water” in 水を取ってきます. It is the thing the speaker says they will get and bring back. A common reuse pattern is 水を飲む for drinking water.
取って
In 取ってきます, 取って contributes the action of getting or taking the water. Together with きます, the whole expression means “I’ll get some water” and return. A reusable pattern is an itemを取ってきます when saying that you will go and get something.
きます
In 取ってきます, きます indicates coming back after getting the water, so the whole expression means “I’ll get some water.” It presents the speaker’s intended action politely. A common reuse pattern is an itemを取ってきます for offering to fetch something.
静か
静か describes ここ as quiet in ここは静かですね. The speaker is commenting on the calm sound level of the place. A common reuse pattern is placeは静かです when describing a quiet place.
ね
ね adds a soft confirmation-seeking tone to ここは静かですね. The speaker is inviting the listener to agree that the place is quiet. A common reuse pattern is a statement followed by ね when sharing an observation or seeking agreement.
では
では means “then” or “in that case” in では、ここで少し休めます. It connects the observation that the place is quiet with the conclusion that they can rest there. A common reuse pattern is では + a conclusion or next action after considering the situation.
で
で marks ここ as the place where the resting takes place in ここで少し休めます. The whole sentence means “then we can rest here for a bit.” A common reuse pattern is placeで + an action verb when saying where an action occurs.
少し
少し means “a little” or “for a short while” in ここで少し休めます. It limits the amount of resting. A common reuse pattern is 少し + an action when describing a small amount or short duration.
休めます
休めます means “can rest” in ここで少し休めます. It says that resting here is possible, following the conclusion では. A reusable pattern is placeで休めます when saying that someone can rest at a particular place.
Grammar Points
〜てもいいです
ここに座ってもいいです。
koh-koh-nee saht-teh-moh EE dehss.May I sit here?
The pattern 〜てもいいです asks for or gives permission to do something. The verb uses the て-form before もいいです.
〜てくる
水を取ってきます。
MEE-zoo oh toht-teh-kee-MAHSS.I’ll go and get some water.
〜てくる combines an action with coming back: someone goes to do something and returns with the result.
Japanese Vocabulary
おやつ
noun
oh-YAHT-soo
snack
休憩用に小さなおやつを持ってきました。
ここ
pron
KOH-koh
here
ここに座ってもいいです。
椅子
noun
ee-SOO
chair
この椅子は空いていますか。
休憩
noun
kyoo-KEH
break; rest
短い休憩を取りましょう。
空く
verb
AH-koo
to be free; to be vacant
空いています
この椅子は空いていますか。
座ってもいいです
phrase
saht-teh-moh EE dehss
can sit; may sit
ここに座ってもいいです。
座る
verb
soo-WAH-roo
to sit
座って
ここに座ってもいいです。
持ってくる
verb
moht-teh-KOO-roo
to bring
持ってきました
休憩用に小さなおやつを持ってきました。
取る
verb
toh-ROO
to take; to get
取りましょう
短い休憩を取りましょう。
小さい
adj
CHEE-sah-ee
small
小さな
休憩用に小さなおやつを持ってきました。
短い
adj
mee-jee-KAH-ee
short
短い休憩を取りましょう。
疲れる
verb
tsoo-kah-REH-roo
to feel tired
疲れました
疲れました。
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to take; to get
Show Answer
取りましょうcan sit; may sit
Show Answer
座ってもいいですto feel tired
Show Answer
疲れましたto be free; to be vacant