About This Lesson
Use Tired eyes and screen brightness to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
私の目が疲れています。
wa-ta-SHEE noh MEH gah tsoo-kah-REH-teh ee-MAHSS. My eyes feel tired.
B
画面が明るすぎるかもしれません。
gah-MEHN gah ah-kah-ROO-soo-GEE-roo kah-moh-shee-REH-mahn. The screen may be too bright.
A
もっと暗くしてもいいですか。
MOHT-toh koo-RAH-koo shee-TEH moh EE dehss-kah? Can I make it darker?
B
明るさを下げてみてください。
ah-kah-ROO-sah oh sah-GEH-teh mee-TEH koo-dah-SAH-ee-mass. Try lowering the brightness.
A
私も目を休めたほうがいいですね。
wa-ta-SHEE moh MEH oh yah-soo-MEH-tah HOH-gah EE dehss-NEH. I should rest my eyes too.
B
今、画面から目を離してください。
ee-MAH, gah-MEHN kah-rah MEH oh hah-NAH-shee-teh koo-dah-SAH-ee-mass. Look away from the screen now.
A
そのほうが楽です。
soh-noh HOH-gah LAH-koo dehss. That feels better.
B
あとでまた休憩を取ってください。
ah-toh-DEH mah-TAH kyoo-KEH oh TOHT-teh koo-dah-SAH-ee-mass. Take another break later.Word by Word
私
私 means “I” in 私の目 and 私も, and it identifies the speaker or the speaker’s eyes. It can be used before の to show possession, as in 私の目. It is useful when talking politely about yourself.
の
の links 私 to 目 in 私の目 and shows that the eyes belong to the speaker, meaning “my eyes.” A common reuse pattern is person or thing + の + noun. Use this pattern to describe possession or a relationship between two nouns.
目
目 means “eye” in 私の目 and 目を休めた, referring to the eyes in this conversation. It can be followed by を when the eyes are the object of an action, as in 目を休めた. You would use it when talking about looking, seeing, or caring for the eyes.
が
が marks 目 as the subject in 私の目が疲れています, so the sentence says that the speaker’s eyes are tired. A common reuse pattern is a noun + が + a description or condition. It is useful when identifying what has a particular state.
疲れています
疲れています means “feel tired” or “are tired” in 私の目が疲れています. Here it describes the current condition of the eyes. You can use it to tell someone that a person or body part is tired.
画面
画面 means “screen” in 画面が明るすぎる and 画面から目を離してください. In the first line, it is the thing whose brightness may be excessive. It is useful for talking about a phone, computer, or other display.
明るすぎる
明るすぎる means “be too bright” in 画面が明るすぎるかもしれません. The form says that the screen’s brightness may be more than is comfortable. A common reuse pattern is a description + すぎる to say that something is excessive.
かもしれません
かもしれません expresses uncertainty, meaning “may” or “might” in 画面が明るすぎるかもしれません. The whole expression softens the statement because the speaker is presenting a possibility rather than a certainty. In this expression, かも marks the possibility, しれ contributes to the expression of uncertainty, and ません gives it a polite form.
もっと
もっと means “more” or “further” in もっと暗くしてもいいですか, asking whether the screen can be made darker still. It modifies 暗く to show an additional degree of darkness. You can use it before a description when asking for or describing a greater amount or degree.
暗く
暗く means “darker” in もっと暗くしてもいいですか. It describes the result that the speaker wants to make the screen become. A common pattern is a description in this form + する when making something have that quality.
して
して means “make” or “do” in 暗くしてもいいですか, where it is part of making the screen darker. Together with 暗く, it describes changing the screen to a darker state. You can reuse a quality + して to ask about or describe making something that way.
も
も is part of the permission expression 暗くしてもいいですか, meaning “is it okay if I make it darker?” Here it does not simply mean “also”; it helps connect the action with a question about permission. A common reuse pattern is an action in this form + もいいですか when politely asking whether an action is allowed.
いい
いい means “okay” in 暗くしてもいいですか. In this expression, it asks whether making the screen darker is acceptable. You can use it in a permission question when checking whether an action is all right.
です
です gives いいですか a polite sentence ending, making the permission question suitable for a polite conversation. The meaning comes from the whole expression してもいいですか, not from です alone. It is commonly used at the end of polite statements and questions.
か
か marks 暗くしてもいいですか as a question. In this line, it turns the permission expression into “Is it okay if I make it darker?” It is commonly placed at the end of a polite question.
明るさ
明るさ means “brightness” in 明るさを下げてみてください. It names the measurable quality of the screen that should be reduced. A common reuse pattern is a quality noun + を + 下げる when asking someone to reduce that quality.
を
を marks 明るさ as the object of 下げてみてください, so the requested action is to lower the brightness. A common pattern is a noun + を + action word when the noun receives the action. Here, the exact object is 明るさ.
下げて
下げて means “lower” or “reduce” in 明るさを下げてみてください. It tells the listener to reduce the screen’s brightness. You can use it with a specific object before it, such as 明るさを, when asking for a lower level.
みて
みて is part of 下げてみてください and means “try doing” the action of lowering the brightness. The whole expression presents the action as something to try. A common reuse pattern is an action in this form + みてください for a polite suggestion to try it.
ください
ください makes 下げてみてください a polite request: “Please try lowering the brightness.” It follows the request pattern ending in て and makes the suggestion courteous. You can use it when asking someone to perform an action.
休めた
休めた means “rest” in 目を休めたほうがいいですね, referring to resting the eyes. In this dialogue, it appears in advice about what would be better for the speaker’s eyes. A common reuse pattern is a body part + を + 休める when saying that the body part should be given rest.
ほう
ほう is part of 目を休めたほうがいいですね and helps express that resting the eyes is the better choice. The full pattern ほうがいい gives advice, so the recommendation comes from the whole construction. You can use an action before ほうがいい when suggesting what someone should do.
ね
ね at the end of 目を休めたほうがいいですね softens the advice and invites agreement, like “I should rest my eyes too, right?” It makes the statement sound shared or confirmatory rather than abrupt. You can use it after a statement when checking that the listener agrees or shares the feeling.
今
今 means “now” in 今、画面から目を離してください. It tells the listener that the requested action should happen at this moment. You can place it before a request to specify when the action should occur.
から
から means “from” in 画面から目を離してください, marking the screen as the point from which the eyes should be moved away. The full expression 画面から目を離す means to look away from the screen. You can use a place or object + から when describing movement away from it.
離して
離して means “move away” or “take away” in 画面から目を離してください. With 目を, it tells the listener to move their eyes away from the screen. The pattern an object + を + 離す can describe moving something away from a source or location.
その
その means “that” in そのほうが楽です, referring to the option of looking away from the screen. Together with ほうが楽です, it says that option feels easier or more comfortable. You can use その before a noun or within a phrase to refer to something already mentioned.
楽
楽 means “comfortable” or “easier” in そのほうが楽です. Here it describes the result after looking away from the screen: that option feels better for the eyes. It is useful when describing physical comfort or relief.
あと
あと means “later” in あとでまた休憩を取ってください. With で, it indicates a later time for taking another break. You can use it before で when referring to something that will happen afterward.
で
で marks the time expression あとで, meaning “later” or “at a later time.” It connects the time reference with the requested action 休憩を取ってください. In this use, it helps indicate when an action will happen.
また
また means “again” in あとでまた休憩を取ってください. It shows that the listener should take another break after the current one. You can place it before an action to say that the action will happen again.
休憩
休憩 means “break” or “rest” in 休憩を取ってください. It is the break that the listener is asked to take later. A common reuse pattern is 休憩を取る, meaning to take a break.
取って
取って means “take” in 休憩を取ってください, where it refers to taking a break rather than taking a physical object. Together with 休憩を, it forms the common expression “take a break.” You can use it in a polite request by adding ください.
Grammar Points
〜すぎる
画面が明るすぎる。
gah-MEHN gah ah-kah-ROO-soo-GEE-roo.The screen is too bright.
Attach すぎる to an adjective stem to mean “too…”: 明るい becomes 明るすぎる.
Vて
画面をもっと暗くして。
gah-MEHN oh MOHT-toh koo-RAH-koo shee-TEH.Make the screen darker.
The て-form can express a casual request or instruction. 暗い changes to 暗くして.
Japanese Vocabulary
かもしれません
phrase
kah-moh-shee-REH-mahn
may; might
画面が明るすぎるかもしれません。
ほうがいい
phrase
HOH-gah EE
should; had better
私も目を休めたほうがいいですね。
もっと
adv
MOHT-toh
more
もっと暗くしてもいいですか。
暗い
adj
koo-RAH-ee
dark
暗くして
もっと暗くしてもいいですか。
下げる
verb
sah-GEH-roo
to lower
下げて
明るさを下げてみてください。
画面
noun
gah-MEHN
screen
画面が明るすぎるかもしれません。
休める
verb
yah-soo-MEH-roo
to rest
休めた
私も目を休めたほうがいいですね。
私
pron
wa-ta-SHEE
I; me
私の目が疲れています。
疲れる
verb
tsoo-kah-REH-roo
to feel tired; to get tired
疲れています
私の目が疲れています。
明るい
adj
ah-kah-ROO-ee
bright
明るすぎる
画面が明るすぎるかもしれません。
明るさ
noun
ah-kah-ROO-sah
brightness
明るさを下げてみてください。
目
noun
MEH
eye; eyes
私の目が疲れています。
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
bright
Show Answer
明るすぎるto feel tired; to get tired
Show Answer
疲れていますmay; might
Show Answer
かもしれませんdark