Rest Your Eyes from the Screen | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 目が疲れています。

   My eyes are tired.

   目

   eyes

   疲れています

   are tired

   More detail

   目 means “eye” or “eyes.” Japanese nouns usually do not mark singular versus plural. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies the intended meaning as plural “eyes.” 目 is followed by が, which marks it as the subject of the condition that follows. 疲れています comes from the verb 疲れる (“to become tired” or “to get fatigued”). It is the polite -ている form. Here, -ている presents tiredness as a current condition, giving “are tired.” The polite form is suitable for a respectful or neutral conversation. Compare 疲れました, which more directly reports that someone became tired or got tired. Together, 目が疲れています means “My eyes are tired.” Japanese does not state the possessor with a separate word here; the fixed translation identifies the eyes as the speaker’s. The pattern Xが疲れています can be reused with another subject. Example: 体が疲れています。 — “My body is tired.”

2. 画面から少し離れて、短い休憩を取ってください。

   Take a short break from the screen.

   画面

   screen

   少し

   a little

   離れて

   move away; stay away

   短い

   short

   休憩

   break; rest

   取ってください

   please take

   More detail

   画面 means “screen” here. It is a noun and can be reused with から to mark a point of separation or departure: 画面から means “away from the screen” in this sentence. Example: 画面を見る — “look at the screen.” 少し means “a little” or “slightly.” It modifies the following idea, so 少し離れて means “move away a little” rather than “move away completely.” Example: 少し待ってください。 — “Please wait a little.” 離れて is the te-form of the verb 離れる, “to move away” or “to be apart.” The te-form connects this action to the request that follows; here it gives the first requested action: “move/stay a little away from the screen.” The pattern Nから離れる means “move away from N” or “be away from N.” 短い is the attributive form of the i-adjective 短い, “short.” It directly modifies the noun after it: 短い休憩 means “a short break.” Its opposite is 長い, “long.” Example: 短い時間 — “a short time.” 休憩 is a noun meaning “break” or “rest.” With the object particle を, 休憩を marks the break as what is taken. The common expression 休憩を取る means “take a break”; 取る literally has several uses, but in this expression it means to take or have a break. 取ってください consists of the te-form 取って and ください, a polite request pattern meaning “please do ...” Here it asks the listener to take the break. The base form of the verb is 取る; its te-form is 取って. Example: 水を取ってください。 — “Please take the water.” Together, 画面から少し離れて gives “move or stay a little away from the screen,” and 短い休憩を取ってください gives “please take a short break.” The full utterance is therefore: “Please move a little away from the screen and take a short break.”

3. どのくらい画面を見ないでいればいいですか。

   How long should I look away?

   どのくらい

   how long

   画面

   screen

   見ないで

   without looking

   いればいいですか

   should I remain ...?

   More detail

   どのくらい asks about extent, amount, or duration. Here, with the continuing state expressed by いればいいですか, it asks “how long?” 画面 means “screen.” In 画面を, を marks the screen as the thing being looked at. Example: 画面を見る。 — “I look at the screen.” 見ないで is based on the verb 見る, “to look at” or “to see.” 見ない is its negative form, “not look,” and 見ないで is the pattern ないで, meaning “without doing” or “while not doing.” It is not the negative て-form; the negative て-form of 見る is 見なくて. Here, 画面を見ないで means “without looking at the screen,” naturally “look away from the screen.” いればいいですか contains the conditional form いれば of いる (“to remain” or “be”) and いいですか (“is it good/okay?”). In 〜ていればいいですか or 〜ないでいればいいですか, this asks what state or action is appropriate to maintain. Here, 見ないでいればいいですか asks whether the speaker should remain without looking at the screen. The question about duration comes from どのくらい. Putting the parts together, どのくらい asks for the duration, 画面を見ないで specifies not looking at the screen, and いればいいですか asks what state the speaker should maintain. The whole utterance means “How long should I look away?” More literally, it asks, “For how long should I remain without looking at the screen?”

4. 1分、画面を見ないでください。

   Look away for a minute.

   1分

   for one minute

   画面

   screen

   見ないでください

   please do not look

   More detail

   1分 means “for one minute.” Here 分 is the counter used for minutes, and 1分 is read いっぷん (ippun). A duration placed at the beginning sets the time span for the request. Example: 5分待ってください。 means “Please wait for five minutes.” 画面 means “screen.” It is a noun and can be used with particles to show its role, as in 画面を見る (“look at the screen”). The noun itself does not indicate who is looking. 見ないでください is a polite request not to do something. The verb is 見る (“look” or “watch”); its negative form is 見ない, and 見ないでください follows the pattern negative form + でください (“please do not …”). This is distinct from positive 見てください (“please look”). Example: ここを見ないでください。 means “Please do not look here.” Together, 1分 gives the duration, 画面 identifies what should not be looked at, and 見ないでください makes the polite negative request. The complete meaning is “Please do not look at the screen for one minute,” naturally rendered here as “Look away for a minute.”

5. 休んでいる間に、水を少し飲めます。

   I can drink some water while I rest.

   休んでいる

   be resting

   間に

   while; during

   水

   water

   少し

   a little; some

   飲めます

   can drink

   More detail

   休んでいる comes from 休む (“to rest”). The -ている form presents the resting as ongoing here: “while I am resting.” It can describe an ongoing state or action, depending on the verb and context. 間に is the time pattern A間に, meaning “while/during A.” Here, 休んでいる間に sets the time during which the drinking can happen. Example: 仕事の間に水を飲みます。 — “I drink water during work.” 水 means “water.” It is a noun and can be used without an article: 水を飲みます。 — “I drink water.” 少し means “a little” or “some” and indicates a small amount here. It modifies the amount of 水; it does not itself state an exact quantity. Example: 少し食べます。 — “I eat a little.” 飲めます is the polite form of the potential form 飲める, from 飲む (“to drink”). The potential form expresses ability or possibility: 飲む → 飲める → 飲めます. In this sentence, it means “can drink,” not simply “drink.” Example: ここで水を飲めます。 — “I can drink water here.” Together, 休んでいる間に means “while I rest,” 水を少し means “some water,” and 飲めます means “can drink.” The complete utterance is: “I can drink some water while I rest.”

6. それで、目が楽になるはずです。

   That should help your eyes feel better.

   それで

   so; then

   目

   eyes

   楽になる

   become more comfortable; feel better

   はずです

   should; be expected to

   More detail

   それで links this sentence to what came before and means “so” or “then” here: the preceding situation leads to the expected result. It is a useful way to connect cause or preceding action to an outcome. Example: それで、元気になりました。 — “So, I got better.” 目 means “eye” or “eyes.” Japanese nouns generally do not change form for singular and plural, so this form can refer to one eye or to the eyes; the translation identifies the intended meaning here as “your eyes.” Example: 目が疲れました。 — “My eyes are tired.” 楽になる combines 楽 (“comfortable,” “easy,” or “relieved”) with なる (“become”). Together, it means “become more comfortable” or, for a body part, “feel better.” The change is expressed by なる, not by an inflection of 目. Example: 休むと、体が楽になります。 — “When I rest, my body feels better.” はずです presents the result as expected or well-founded: “should” or “is expected to.” はず is a noun meaning an expectation or reasonable conclusion, and です makes the statement polite. This is not the same as a direct command or a guarantee. Example: これで問題が解決するはずです。 — “This should solve the problem.” As a whole, それで sets up the result, 目が楽になる says that the eyes become more comfortable, and はずです marks that result as expected. The utterance therefore means: “That should help your eyes feel better.”

7. そうすれば、作業を終えられます。

   Then I can finish the task.

   そうすれば

   then; if that is done

   作業

   task; work

   終えられます

   can finish

   More detail

   そうすれば means “if that is done” or, in this context, “then.” そう refers back to an action or situation already understood, and すれば is the conditional form of する: する → すれば (“if [someone] does”). Together, this is a reusable way to connect a condition or preceding step with its result. It does not identify the action by itself; here, the fixed translation establishes the intended result as being able to finish the task. 作業 is a noun meaning work or a task. The particle を marks it as the object of the following verb. For example, 作業を始めます。 means “I start the work.” 終えられます is the polite nonpast form of 終えられる, the potential form of the transitive verb 終える (“to finish something”): 終える → 終えられる (“can finish”) → 終えられます (“can finish,” polite). The fixed translation supplies the understood actor as “I.” This form describes the ability or possibility of completing an object. In contrast, 終わる is an intransitive verb meaning “to end” or “to be finished,” as in 作業が終わります。 (“The work ends” or “The work will be finished.”). The object-marked 作業を therefore fits 終える, not 終わる. Together, そうすれば sets up the result, 作業を identifies the task being acted on, and 終えられます says that the speaker can finish it. The whole utterance means “Then I can finish the task.”

8. まず休憩を取って、それから作業を終えてください。

   Take the break first, then finish the task.

   まず

   first

   休憩

   break

   取って

   take, and...

   それから

   then

   作業

   task

   終えてください

   please finish

   More detail

   まず means “first” and sets the order of the actions. It is an adverb, so it does not change for the person or number of the person acting. 休憩 means “break” or “rest.” In 休憩を取る, the particle を marks 休憩 as the object of the verb: this is the reusable expression “take a break.” The noun 作業 later refers to the task or work to be finished; it is a separate noun, not part of 休憩. 取って is the te-form of the verb 取る, “to take.” Here it occurs in 休憩を取って, “take a break and …” The te-form connects this action to what follows and, with それから, presents the actions in sequence. The form 取って itself does not express the English word “then” by itself. それから means “then” or “after that.” It explicitly moves from the break to the next action. A reusable pattern is A。それからB。—“A. Then B.” 作業 means “task” or “work.” In this sentence, 作業を marks the task as the object of finishing. The word can refer to work or a task more generally, depending on context. 終えてください contains 終えて, the te-form of the transitive verb 終える, “to finish” or “to complete,” followed by ください, which makes a polite request. Thus 終えてください means “please finish.” The observed form 終えて is not the base form: 終える → 終えて. Because 終える is transitive here, 作業を identifies what is to be finished. The request has no explicitly stated subject in Japanese; the fixed translation presents it as an instruction to “you.” Together, まず休憩を取って means “take a break first.” それから作業を終えてください means “then please finish the task.” The complete utterance therefore means: “Take the break first, then finish the task.”