About This Lesson
Use Taking a Break During Study to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
長い時間、勉強しています。
nah-GAH-ee jee-KAHN, ben-KYOH shee-teh ee-mah-soo. I've been studying for a long time.
B
いったん勉強をやめてください。
eet-TAHN ben-KYOH oh yah-meh-teh koo-DAH-sigh. Put your work aside.
B
少し休んでください。
soo-KOH-shee yah-soon-deh koo-DAH-sigh. Rest for a moment.
A
今は集中するのが難しいです。
ee-MAH wah shoo-CHOO soo-roo noh gah moo-zoo-KAH-shee deh-soo. It's hard to concentrate now.
B
それはたいてい、頭を休める必要があるということです。
soh-REH wah TAH-ee-teh, ah-tah-MAH oh yah-soo-MEH-roo hee-TSOO-yoh gah ah-ROO toh ee-OO koh-toh deh-soo. That usually means your brain needs a break.
A
後で単語を復習したほうがいいですか。
ah-toh-DEH TAHN-goh oh fook-SHOO shee-tah hoh-GAH ee deh-soo kah. Should I review vocabulary later?
B
戻ってきたら、もっと簡単な単語から始めてください。
moh-DOHT-teh kee-TAH-rah, MOHT-toh kahn-TAHN-nah TAHN-goh kah-rah hah-jee-MEH-teh koo-DAH-sigh. Start with the easier words when you come back.
A
休んでいる間、ノートを閉じておきます。
yah-soon-DEH ee-roo EYE-dah, NOH-toh oh toh-JEE-teh oh-KEE-mah-soo. I'll close the notebook while I rest.
B
それなら、もっと落ち着いて続けられます。
soh-REH nah-rah, MOHT-toh oh-chee-TSOO-ee-teh tsoo-zoo-keh-rah-reh-MAH-soo. Then we can continue more calmly.Word by Word
長い
In 「長い時間」, 「長い」 means “long” and describes the amount of time spent studying. A reliable reuse pattern is 「長い」＋a time or distance noun, such as a long period or a long distance.
時間
In 「長い時間」, 「時間」 means “time” as a period or duration. It commonly follows a quantity or description, as in 「長い時間」 for “a long time.”
勉強
In 「勉強しています」, 「勉強」 means studying. It is used with 「する」 to describe the activity, and 「勉強をやめてください」 uses it as the activity being stopped.
して
In 「勉強しています」, 「して」 connects 「勉強」＋「する」 to 「います」 and helps express an ongoing activity. A reliable reuse pattern is 「Nをしている」 for being engaged in an activity.
います
In 「勉強しています」, 「います」 follows 「して」 to show that the studying is continuing now, in a polite form. The pattern 「Vている」 is used for an action or state in progress.
いったん
In 「いったん勉強をやめてください」, 「いったん」 means “for now” or “temporarily,” suggesting a pause rather than a permanent end. It commonly appears before an action that will be paused or reconsidered later.
を
In 「勉強をやめてください」, 「を」 marks 「勉強」 as the thing being stopped. The reusable pattern is 「Nをやめる」, meaning to stop doing or using N.
やめて
In 「勉強をやめてください」, 「やめて」 gives the action “stop” in the form used before a polite request. The pattern 「Vてください」 makes a request such as asking someone to stop an activity.
ください
In 「やめてください」 and 「休んでください」, 「ください」 makes the preceding request polite. It commonly follows a て-form to ask someone to do something.
少し
In 「少し休んでください」, 「少し」 means “a little” or “for a short while,” limiting the amount of rest. It can be placed before an action to describe a small amount or short duration.
休んで
In 「少し休んでください」, 「休んで」 means “rest” in the form used before a polite request. The pattern 「休んでください」 is useful when politely telling someone to take a rest.
今
In 「今は集中するのが難しいです」, 「今」 means “now,” referring to the present time of the study session. It commonly appears before 「は」 when the present moment is set as the topic.
は
In 「今は集中するのが難しいです」, 「は」 marks 「今」 as the topic, giving the meaning “as for now.” The pattern 「時間＋は」 can set a particular time or period as the topic.
集中
In 「集中する」, 「集中」 means concentration or focus, and with 「する」 it expresses the activity of concentrating. A reliable reuse pattern is 「Nに集中する」 for focusing on N.
する
In 「集中する」, 「する」 turns 「集中」 into the action “to concentrate.” It is also used in 「勉強する」 to express the activity of studying.
の
In 「集中するのが難しいです」, 「の」 turns 「集中する」 into an activity that can be described as difficult. The pattern 「Vるのが難しい」 means that doing something is difficult.
が
In 「集中するのが難しいです」, 「が」 marks the nominalized activity 「集中するの」 as the thing that is difficult. The pattern 「Vるのが難しい」 is a reliable way to say that doing something is difficult.
難しい
In 「集中するのが難しいです」, 「難しい」 means “difficult,” describing the difficulty of concentrating at this time. It can follow 「Vるのが」 to describe an action that is hard to do.
です
In 「難しいです」, 「です」 gives the statement a polite ending. It follows an adjective here to make a polite description, such as saying that something is difficult.
それ
In 「それはたいてい」, 「それ」 refers to the difficulty concentrating that A has just mentioned. It is useful for pointing back to something already stated in the conversation.
たいてい
In 「それはたいてい」, 「たいてい」 means “usually,” describing what commonly happens in that situation. It is placed before the statement or action it qualifies.
頭
In 「頭を休める」, 「頭」 refers to the head or mind that needs a rest after concentrating. The pattern 「頭を休める」 is used here to describe giving one’s mind a break.
休める
In 「頭を休める」, 「休める」 means to give the head or mind a rest. A reliable pattern is 「Nを休める」 when N is something being allowed or made to rest.
必要
In 「休める必要がある」, 「必要」 means a need or necessity. The pattern 「Vる必要がある」 says that doing an action is necessary.
ある
In 「必要がある」, 「ある」 expresses that the need exists, giving the meaning “there is a need.” The pattern 「Nがある」 describes the existence of an inanimate thing or situation.
と
In 「ということです」, 「と」 marks the content that is being presented as the meaning of the preceding statement. It appears in the reusable expression 「ということ」 when explaining what something means or indicates.
いう
In 「ということです」, 「いう」 contributes the idea of saying or meaning within the expression 「ということ」. This expression is useful when interpreting a situation or explaining what a statement signifies.
こと
In 「ということです」, 「こと」 presents the preceding content as a fact or matter being explained. The pattern 「ということ」 is used to describe the meaning or implication of what came before.
後で
In 「後で単語を復習したほうがいいですか」, 「後で」 means “later,” referring to a time after the current break. It commonly comes before an action that will happen later, such as 「後で復習する」.
単語
In 「単語を復習したほうがいいですか」, 「単語」 means a vocabulary word. The pattern 「単語を復習する」 is used for reviewing vocabulary words.
復習
In 「単語を復習したほうがいいですか」, 「復習」 means review, specifically looking over learned material again. It is commonly used with 「する」, as in 「単語を復習する」.
した
In 「復習したほうがいいですか」, 「した」 is the form of 「する」 used in the advice pattern 「Vたほうがいい」. Here the whole pattern asks whether it would be better to review later, rather than simply describing a past action.
ほう
In 「復習したほうがいいですか」, 「ほう」 refers to the option or course of action that is preferable within 「Vたほうがいい」. This pattern is used to ask or say what would be better to do.
いい
In 「したほうがいいですか」, 「いい」 means “good” or “better” and identifies the preferred option. The pattern 「Vたほうがいい」 is a common way to give or ask for advice.
か
In 「復習したほうがいいですか」, 「か」 marks the sentence as a question. It is placed at the end of a polite question to ask whether the suggested action is advisable.
戻って
In 「戻ってきたら」, 「戻って」 means returning and connects 「戻る」 with 「きたら」. The full expression 「戻ってきたら」 means “when you come back,” a useful way to set a condition or time for the next action.
きたら
In 「戻ってきたら」, 「きたら」 completes the meaning “when you come,” with 「たら」 setting the condition or time. The pattern 「Vたら」 is commonly used for “when” or “if” an action has happened.
もっと
In 「もっと簡単な単語」, 「もっと」 means “more,” increasing the degree of ease. It commonly comes before an adjective or descriptive phrase when comparing with the current level.
簡単
In 「簡単な単語」, 「簡単」 means easy or simple. In this dialogue it describes vocabulary words, and the form before a noun is 「簡単な」.
な
In 「簡単な単語」, 「な」 links 「簡単」 to the noun 「単語」 so that “easy” can describe the words. The reusable pattern is 「な-adjective＋な＋noun」.
から
In 「簡単な単語から始めてください」, 「から」 marks the starting point: begin from the easier words. The pattern 「Nから始める」 is useful when stating what to start with.
始めて
In 「簡単な単語から始めてください」, 「始めて」 means “start” in the form used before a polite request. The pattern 「Nから始めてください」 politely tells someone to begin with N.
いる
In 「休んでいる間」, 「いる」 follows 「休んで」 to show that the resting is in progress. The pattern 「Vている間」 means “while someone is doing V.”
間
In 「休んでいる間」, 「間」 means the period while the stated activity continues. The pattern 「Vている間」 is used to describe another action happening during that period.
ノート
In 「ノートを閉じておきます」, 「ノート」 means notebook, the object that will be closed during the rest. The pattern 「ノートを閉じる」 is used for closing a notebook.
閉じて
In 「ノートを閉じておきます」, 「閉じて」 means “close” and connects the closing action to 「おきます」. The pattern 「Vておく」 describes doing something in advance or keeping the resulting state for later.
おきます
In 「閉じておきます」, 「おきます」 is used after 「閉じて」 to mean keeping the notebook closed as a preparation for the rest. The polite pattern 「Vておきます」 is useful when an action is done beforehand for a later situation.
なら
In 「それなら」, 「なら」 means “if that is so” or “then,” responding to the plan just mentioned. It commonly follows a statement or reference such as 「それ」 when drawing a consequence.
落ち着いて
In 「もっと落ち着いて続けられます」, 「落ち着いて」 means calmly or in a settled state, describing how the activity can continue. It can be reused before an action to show that it is done calmly, such as 「落ち着いて話す」 in a new example.
続けられます
In 「もっと落ち着いて続けられます」, 「続けられます」 means “can continue,” expressing that continuing becomes possible. It is useful after an activity or task when saying that it can be continued under certain conditions.
Grammar Points
〜ておきます
ノートを閉じておきます。
NOH-toh oh toh-JEE-teh oh-KEE-mah-soo.I'll close the notebook in advance.
ておく shows that an action is done beforehand for a later purpose.
〜たら
戻ってきたら、復習したほうがいいですか。
moh-DOHT-teh kee-TAH-rah, fook-SHOO shee-tah hoh-GAH ee deh-soo kah.When I come back, should I review?
たら connects a condition or time to the result: “when” or “if.”
Japanese Vocabulary
いったん
adv
eet-TAHN
for now; temporarily
たいてい
adv
TAH-ee-teh
usually
やめる
verb
yah-MEH-roo
stop; quit
やめてください
休む
verb
yah-SOO-moo
rest; take a break
休んでください
今
adv
ee-MAH
now
時間
noun
jee-KAHN
time
集中する
verb
shoo-CHOO soo-roo
concentrate
少し
adv
soo-KOH-shee
a little; for a moment
長い
adj
nah-GAH-ee
long
頭
noun
ah-tah-MAH
head; brain
難しい
adj
moo-zoo-KAH-shee
difficult
勉強する
verb
ben-KYOH soo-roo
study
勉強しています
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
for now; temporarily
Show Answer
いったんconcentrate
Show Answer
集中するrest; take a break
Show Answer
休んでくださいstop; quit