Rest Your Eyes from the Screen | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: At work, two adults take a short screen break so tired eyes feel better before finishing a task..

EN → JA / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Rest Your Eyes from the Screen to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

目が疲れています。

meh-GAH tsoo-kah-reh-teh-ee-MAHS My eyes are tired.
B

画面から少し離れて、短い休憩を取ってください。

gah-men kah-rah soo-koh-shee hah-nah-reh-teh, mee-jee-KIGH kyoo-keh-o toh-tteh koo-dah-SIGH Take a short break from the screen.
A

どのくらい画面を見ないでいればいいですか。

doh-noh koo-RAI gah-men-o mee-nah-ee-deh ee-reh-bah EE dehss-kah How long should I look away?
B

1分、画面を見ないでください。

eep-poon, gah-men-o mee-nah-ee-deh koo-dah-SIGH Look away for a minute.
A

休んでいる間に、水を少し飲めます。

yah-soon-deh-ee-roo ah-mah-nee, mee-zoo-o soo-koh-shee noh-meh-MAHS I can drink some water while I rest.
B

それで、目が楽になるはずです。

soh-reh-deh, meh-GAH rah-koo nee-ROO hah-zoo dehss That should help your eyes feel better.
A

そうすれば、作業を終えられます。

soh-oo-soo-reh-bah, sah-gyoh-o oh-eh-rah-reh-MAHS Then I can finish the task.
B

まず休憩を取って、それから作業を終えてください。

mah-zoo kyoo-keh-o toh-tteh, soh-reh-kah-rah sah-gyoh-o oh-eh-teh koo-dah-SIGH Take the break first, then finish the task.

Word by Word

目 目 refers to the eye or eyes; here it refers to the speaker’s tired eyes. In the dialogue, it is used in 目が疲れています and 目が楽になる.
が が marks 目 as the subject of the condition in 目が疲れています. The same subject-marking use appears in 目が楽になる.
疲れています 疲れています means “are tired” or “are in a tired state” here. It is the polite form used to describe the current condition of the eyes in 目が疲れています.
画面 画面 means “screen,” specifically the screen from which the speaker should move away or look away. It appears as the object of attention in 画面を見ないで.
から から means “from” in 画面から少し離れて, showing the screen as the point from which someone should move or stay away. It can follow a noun to indicate a starting point or source.
少し 少し means “a little” or “slightly” here and modifies the action in 画面から少し離れて. It is commonly placed before a verb to express a small amount or degree.
離れて 離れて means “move away” or “stay away” here. In 画面から少し離れて、短い休憩を取ってください, it is the first action in a sequence and is followed by the request to take a break.
短い 短い means “short” and describes the duration of 休憩 in 短い休憩を取ってください. This adjective comes before the noun it describes.
休憩 休憩 means “break” or “rest period” here. In 休憩を取ってください and 休憩を取って, it is the thing being taken.
を を marks 休憩 as the object of 取る in 休憩を取ってください. It commonly follows the noun that receives an action.
取って 取って means “take” here as part of 休憩を取ってください. This te-form of 取る connects the action of taking a break to ください to make a polite request.
ください ください makes the preceding action into a polite request in 取ってください and 見ないでください. It follows a te-form or a negative form ending in で in these dialogue expressions.
どのくらい どのくらい asks “how long” in どのくらい画面を見ないでいればいいですか. どの identifies the extent being asked about, while くらい indicates the degree or amount; together they ask for the length of time.
見ない 見ない means “not look at” here, referring to not looking at the screen in 画面を見ないで. It is the negative form of 見る and comes before で to connect with the following expression.
で で is part of 見ないで and means “without doing” in this expression. Together with 見ない, it appears in 見ないでください to request that someone not look at the screen.
いれば いれば means “if one remains” or “if one keeps being in that state” in 見ないでいればいいですか. It follows 見ないで to express remaining without looking at the screen for the required time.
いい いい means “okay” or “acceptable” in 見ないでいればいいですか, asking what length of time is sufficient. The pattern いればいい expresses what is considered enough or appropriate.
です です is the polite sentence ending in いればいいですか. Together with か, it makes the question polite.
か か marks the sentence as a question at the end of いればいいですか. It is used here after the polite ending です.
分 分 measures minutes in 1分, meaning “one minute.” It follows a number when stating a duration in minutes.
休んで 休んで means “resting” here as part of 休んでいる間に. This te-form of 休む connects with いる to describe the ongoing state of resting.
いる いる helps form the ongoing expression 休んでいる, meaning “be resting” or “be in the state of resting.” It follows the te-form of an activity to describe that activity as continuing.
間 間 means “the time while” or “the period during which” in 休んでいる間に. It follows the clause 休んでいる to identify the period when the water can be drunk.
に に marks the time during which the action occurs in 休んでいる間に. Here it shows that drinking water happens during the period of resting.
水 水 means “water” here. In 水を少し飲めます, it is the thing that can be drunk.
飲めます 飲めます means “can drink” here and expresses the possibility of drinking water during the rest. It is used with the object 水を in 水を少し飲めます.
それ それ points back to the preceding suggestion or action. In それで、目が楽になるはずです, それ refers to that preceding action, while the whole expression それで means “with that” or “as a result.”
楽 楽 means “more comfortable” or “relieved” here in 楽になる, describing the eyes feeling better. It is used with なる to express a change into a more comfortable state.
なる なる means “become” in 楽になる, so 楽になる describes the eyes becoming more comfortable or feeling better. It commonly follows a state or condition when expressing a change into that state.
はず はず expresses an expected result in 目が楽になるはずです: the eyes should feel better. It presents the result as expected rather than as a certain fact.
そうすれば そうすれば means “if you do so” or “then” and connects an action with its result in そうすれば、作業を終えられます. そう refers to the preceding action, and すれば is the conditional form of する.
作業 作業 means “task” or “work” here, referring to the work that remains to be completed. It appears as the object in 作業を終えられます and 作業を終えてください.
終えられます 終えられます means “can finish” or “can complete” the task in 作業を終えられます. It expresses the ability or possibility of completing 作業.
まず まず means “first” or “before anything else” in まず休憩を取って. It is a sentence adverb used to put the first step in an ordered sequence.
それから それから means “then” or “after that” in それから作業を終えてください. それ refers to what was just mentioned, and から contributes the sense of moving on from that point; together they introduce the next step.
終えて 終えて means “finish” here as part of 作業を終えてください. This te-form of 終える connects the action of finishing the task to ください to make a polite request.

Grammar Points

～ないでいれば

画面を見ないでいれば、目が楽になるはずです。

gah-men-o mee-nah-ee-deh ee-reh-bah, meh-GAH rah-koo nee-ROO hah-zoo dehss

If you stay without looking at the screen, your eyes should feel better.

～ないでいる means to remain without doing something; ～ば makes it conditional.

～られます

そうすれば、作業を終えられます。

soh-oo-soo-reh-bah, sah-gyoh-o oh-eh-rah-reh-MAHS

If you do that, you can finish the task.

The potential form ～られます expresses ability or possibility: “can do.”

Japanese Vocabulary

1分 num
eep-poon one minute
どのくらい adv
doh-noh koo-RAI how long; how much
画面 noun
gah-men screen
休む verb
yah-soo-MOO to rest 休んでいる
休憩 noun
kyoo-keh break
見る verb
mee-ROO to look; to watch 見ないでいれば
取る verb
toh-ROO to take 取ってください
少し adv
soo-koh-shee a little
短い adj
mee-jee-KIGH short
疲れる verb
tsoo-kah-REH-roo to get tired; to be tired 疲れています
目 noun
meh eye; eyes
離れる verb
hah-nah-REH-roo to move away; to leave 離れて

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

how long; how much

Show Answerどのくらい

to get tired; to be tired

Show Answer疲れています

to take

Show Answer取ってください

to look; to watch

Show Answer見ないでいれば