About This Lesson
Use Taking a Break During Study to practice Korean conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
저는 오래 공부했어요.
juh-nun oh-REH gohng-boo-HEH-suh-yoh I've been studying for a long time.
B
하던 일을 잠시 내려놓으세요.
hah-dun ee-rul jahm-shee neh-ryuh-NOH-uh-SEH-yoh Put your work aside.
B
잠깐 쉬세요.
jahm-KKAHN shwee-SEH-yoh Rest for a moment.
A
이제 집중하기 힘들어요.
ee-JEH jeep-joong-hah-gee him-DUH-ruh-yoh It's hard to concentrate now.
B
그건 보통 뇌가 쉬어야 한다는 뜻이에요.
guh-gun boh-TOONG NWEH-gah shwee-uh-yah hahn-dah-nun tteu-shee-eh-yoh That usually means your brain needs a break.
A
나중에 단어를 복습할까요?
nah-JOONG-eh dahn-uh-rul bok-SSEUP-hahl-KKAH-yoh Should I review vocabulary later?
B
돌아오면 더 쉬운 단어부터 시작하세요.
doh-rah-OH-myuhn duh shwee-oon dahn-uh-boo-tuh shee-jah-kah-SEH-yoh Start with the easier words when you come back.
A
쉬는 동안 공책을 덮어 둘게요.
shwee-nun dohng-ahn gohng-CHEH-gul duh-puh dool-GEH-yoh I'll close the notebook while I rest.
B
그러면 우리는 좀 더 편하게 계속할 수 있어요.
guh-ruh-myuhn oo-ree-nun johm duh pyuhn-hah-geh gyeh-soh-KAHL soo iss-uh-yoh Then we can continue more calmly.Word by Word
저는
저는 means “I” or “as for me” here, introducing the speaker as the topic of the sentence. It is useful in polite statements about yourself, such as when describing what you have been doing.
오래
오래 means “for a long time” and shows that the studying has continued for a long duration. It commonly comes before an action to describe how long it lasts, and it is useful when reporting a long wait, work period, or study period.
공부했어요
공부했어요 means “studied” or “have studied” in this dialogue and is the polite past form related to 공부하다. It completes a polite statement about a completed or experienced activity, and it is useful when telling someone what you did.
하던
하던 describes something that one was doing or had been doing, so 하던 일을 means “the work I was doing” here. It comes before a noun and is useful when referring to an activity that was already in progress or had been done before.
일을
일을 means “work” or “task” as the object of the action in 하던 일을. The 를 ending marks what is being set aside, and the same object-marking pattern is useful before many action verbs.
잠시
잠시 means “for a short while” and shows that the work should be set aside temporarily. It commonly comes before an action and is useful when asking someone to pause something briefly.
내려놓으세요
내려놓으세요 means “put it down” or “set it aside” as a polite request or instruction, from 내려놓다. Here it tells the listener to stop holding or attending to the work for a while, and it is useful before a short break.
잠깐
잠깐 means “for a moment” and limits the length of the requested rest. It commonly comes before an action such as 쉬세요, and it is useful when asking someone to pause briefly.
쉬세요
쉬세요 means “please rest” or “please take a break” as a polite request, from 쉬다. It is useful when advising someone who is tired or needs a short pause, as in 잠깐 쉬세요.
이제
이제 means “now” or “at this point,” referring to the present stage after studying for a long time. It commonly comes before a statement about a current change, and here it introduces the present difficulty concentrating.
집중하기
집중하기 means “concentrating” and presents the action of focusing in the expression 집중하기 힘들어요. The 기 ending makes the action function as the activity being evaluated, and the pattern is useful for saying that an activity is difficult.
힘들어요
힘들어요 means “is hard” or “is difficult” in this polite statement, from 힘들다. Here it describes concentrating as difficult, and it is useful after an action expressed with 기 when explaining that the action is hard to do.
그건
그건 means “that” or “as for that,” referring here to the difficulty concentrating that was just mentioned. It is a shortened form related to 그것은 and is useful for responding to a previous situation before giving an explanation.
보통
보통 means “usually” or “generally” and shows that the following explanation is a common interpretation rather than a one-time fact. It commonly comes before a clause and is useful when describing what normally happens.
뇌가
뇌가 means “the brain” as the subject of the statement. The 가 ending marks the brain as the thing that needs to rest, and this subject-marking pattern is useful when identifying what performs or experiences an action.
쉬어야
쉬어야 means “needs to rest” or “must rest” and expresses necessity in the sentence about the brain. It is completed by 한다는 in the expression 쉬어야 한다는 뜻이에요, and the same necessity pattern is useful when explaining what must happen.
한다는
한다는 marks the content that is being explained in 쉬어야 한다는 뜻이에요: the idea that the brain needs to rest. It helps turn the preceding necessity statement into information whose meaning is being described, and the pattern is useful when saying that something means a particular fact.
뜻이에요
뜻이에요 means “means” or “is the meaning” here, identifying the interpretation of the previous situation. Together with 한다는, it is useful for explaining what a sign, statement, or situation indicates.
나중에
나중에 means “later,” referring to a time after the current break. It commonly comes before an action and is useful when postponing study, work, or another activity.
단어를
단어를 means “vocabulary words” as the object of reviewing. The 를 ending marks what will be reviewed, and this object-marking pattern is useful before an action such as 복습하다.
복습할까요
복습할까요 asks “shall I review?” in this dialogue, using a polite question to ask about a possible plan. It is useful when checking whether to do an activity, especially when asking another person for advice about what to do next.
돌아오면
돌아오면 means “when you come back” here, setting the time for starting the review. The 면 ending links a condition or time to the following action, and it is useful for describing what someone should do after returning.
더
더 means “more” and increases the degree of 쉬운, giving the meaning “easier” in 더 쉬운 단어. It commonly comes before an adjective or adverb to show a higher degree, and it is useful when comparing options or levels.
쉬운
쉬운 means “easy” or “easier” in the form used before 단어. It modifies a noun directly, and it is useful when selecting something that requires less effort, such as easier vocabulary after a break.
단어부터
단어부터 means “starting with the words” and marks vocabulary as the starting point of the review. The 부터 ending identifies where an action begins, and the pattern noun부터 시작하다 is useful when giving an order for several steps.
시작하세요
시작하세요 means “please start” or “please begin” as a polite instruction, from 시작하다. Here it tells the listener to begin with the easier words, and it is useful when directing someone to begin an activity or process.
쉬는
쉬는 means “resting” and modifies 동안 in 쉬는 동안, meaning “while resting.” It describes the activity that is taking place during the period, and it is useful in time expressions about what happens during a break.
동안
동안 means “during” or “while” and marks the period in which the notebook will be closed. In 쉬는 동안, it connects the resting period with the action that happens during it, and it is useful after a time expression or a modifying verb form.
공책을
공책을 means “the notebook” as the object of 덮어 둘게요. The 를 ending marks what will be closed, and the same object-marking pattern is useful before an action that affects a thing.
덮어
덮어 contributes the action “close” or “cover” in 덮어 둘게요. It connects the closing action to 둘게요, which expresses leaving the notebook in that condition, and this connected form is useful when one action is followed by leaving its result in place.
둘게요
둘게요 means “I’ll leave it that way” or “I’ll keep it in that state,” from 두다 with a polite intention ending. Together with 덮어, it means the speaker will close the notebook and leave it closed, and it is useful when offering to arrange or maintain something.
그러면
그러면 means “then” or “in that case” and introduces the result of taking a break and closing the notebook. It commonly links a previous plan or condition to a following consequence, and it is useful when responding to someone’s suggestion.
우리는
우리는 means “we” or “as for us,” presenting the people involved as the topic of the final statement. The 는 ending marks the topic, and it is useful when describing something that the speaker and another person can do together.
좀
좀 means “somewhat” or “a little” here and softens the degree of 편하게. It commonly modifies an adjective or adverb, and it is useful when describing a modest improvement rather than a strong change.
편하게
편하게 means “comfortably” or “with greater ease” and describes how the two people can continue. It is the adverbial form related to 편하다 and is useful before an action when describing a more relaxed manner.
계속할
계속할 means “to continue” in the form used before 수 있어요. It prepares the verb for the possibility or ability construction 계속할 수 있어요, and this form is useful when saying that someone can continue an activity.
수
수 is the possibility element in 계속할 수 있어요, which expresses that continuing is possible. It does not mean “can” by itself; together with the preceding verb form and 있어요, it forms a useful pattern for expressing ability or possibility.
있어요
있어요 completes the possibility expression 계속할 수 있어요, meaning “can continue” in this dialogue. Here it expresses that the action is possible rather than simply stating that something exists, and the same construction is useful for saying that an activity can be done.
Grammar Points
V-(으)면
돌아오면 복습할까요?
doh-rah-OH-myuhn bok-SSEUP-hahl-KKAH-yohShall we review when you come back?
‘-(으)면’ expresses a condition or time: ‘when/if you return.’
V-(으)ㄹ 수 있다
계속할 수 있어요.
gyeh-soh-KAHL soo iss-uh-yohYou can continue.
‘-(으)ㄹ 수 있다’ expresses ability or possibility, meaning ‘can.’
Korean Vocabulary
공부하다
verb
gohng-boo-HAH-dah
to study
공부했어요
내려놓다
verb
neh-ryuh-NOH-dah
to put down; to set aside
내려놓으세요
뇌
noun
NWEH
brain
뇌가
보통
adv
boh-TOONG
usually; normally
쉬다
verb
shwee-DAH
to rest; to take a break
쉬세요
오래
adv
oh-REH
for a long time
일
noun
eel
work
일을
잠깐
adv
jahm-KKAHN
for a moment; briefly
잠시
adv
jahm-SHEE
for a while; briefly
저
pron
juh
I; me
저는
집중하다
verb
jeep-joong-HAH-dah
to concentrate
집중하기
힘들다
adj
him-DUHL-dah
to be difficult; to be hard
힘들어요
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
I've been studying for a long time.
Show Answer
저는 오래 공부했어요.Put your work aside.
Show Answer
하던 일을 잠시 내려놓으세요.Rest for a moment.
Show Answer
잠깐 쉬세요.Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to concentrate
Show Answer
집중하기to study
Show Answer
공부했어요to put down; to set aside
Show Answer
내려놓으세요to be difficult; to be hard