About This Lesson
Use Taking a Short Coffee Break to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
我开始无法集中注意力了。
Wǒ kāishǐ wúfǎ jízhōng zhùyìlì le. I am losing focus.
B
我们离开一下，去喝杯咖啡吧。
Wǒmen líkāi yíxià, qù hē bēi kāfēi ba. Let's step away and get coffee.
A
短暂休息一下好像会有帮助。
Duǎnzàn xiūxi yíxià hǎoxiàng huì yǒu bāngzhù. A short break sounds helpful.
B
我们可以伸展一下，然后再坐下来。
Wǒmen kěyǐ shēnzhǎn yíxià, ránhòu zài zuò xiàlái. We can stretch before we sit down again.
A
喝完咖啡后，我们回去做报告吗？
Hē wán kāfēi hòu, wǒmen huíqù zuò bàogào ma? Should we return to the report after coffee?
B
到时候我们可以完成下一部分。
Dào shíhou wǒmen kěyǐ wánchéng xià yí bùfen. We can finish the next part then.
A
我们离开前，我会保存文件。
Wǒmen líkāi qián, wǒ huì bǎocún wénjiàn. I will save the file before we leave.
B
现在保存文件吧，这样我们就不会丢失任何东西。
Xiànzài bǎocún wénjiàn ba, zhèyàng wǒmen jiù bú huì diūshī rènhé dōngxi. Save it now, so we do not lose anything.Word by Word
我
我 refers to the speaker as “I” in 我开始无法集中注意力了. It is used before the verb phrase to show who is experiencing the change, and it is useful when describing your own state or action.
开始
开始 means “begin to” in 我开始无法集中注意力了, showing that the difficulty concentrating is starting now. A reliable pattern is 开始 + a verb phrase, useful when describing the beginning of an action or state.
无法
无法 means “be unable to” in 我开始无法集中注意力了. It is followed by the action that cannot be done, here 集中注意力, and is useful for explaining that a task is no longer possible.
集中
集中 means “focus” or “concentrate” in 集中注意力. It takes 注意力 as its object in this expression, and 集中注意力 is useful when talking about mental focus during work or study.
注意力
注意力 means “attention” or “focus” in 集中注意力. It is the thing being directed or concentrated, and the pattern 集中注意力 is useful when describing your ability to focus.
了
了 at the end of 我开始无法集中注意力了 shows that the situation has changed: the speaker has now reached a state of being unable to focus. Sentence-final 了 is useful when reporting a new or changed situation.
我们
我们 means “we” or “us” in 我们离开一下 and the later suggestions about stretching and returning to work. It is the subject of shared actions, useful when proposing or planning something together.
离开
离开 means “leave” or “step away” in 离开一下, referring to leaving the current work activity or place briefly. It can be followed by a place or by 一下 here, and it is useful when suggesting a short departure from a task.
一下
一下 makes 离开一下 sound brief and less forceful, meaning “step away for a moment.” It commonly follows an action verb to suggest doing that action briefly, as when proposing a short break.
去
去 means “go” in 去喝杯咖啡吧, introducing the activity the speakers propose going to do. The pattern 去 + a verb phrase is useful when suggesting going somewhere to carry out an activity.
喝
喝 means “drink” in 喝杯咖啡. It is followed by the drink being consumed, and 喝 + a beverage is useful when talking about having coffee or another drink.
杯
杯 is the measure word for a cup or glass in 喝杯咖啡, giving the coffee a cup-sized quantity. It is used between the quantity and the beverage in expressions about ordering or drinking a cup or glass.
咖啡
咖啡 means “coffee” and is the drink referred to in 喝杯咖啡. It follows 喝 with 杯 before it, and it is useful in the context of suggesting a coffee break.
吧
吧 softens the suggestion in 去喝杯咖啡吧, making it sound like “let’s go get coffee.” It commonly appears at the end of a suggestion, especially when inviting another person to do something together.
短暂
短暂 means “brief” or “short in duration” in 短暂休息一下. It describes the short length of the break, and it is useful before an activity or state when emphasizing that it will not last long.
休息
休息 means “rest” or “take a break” in 短暂休息一下. Together with 一下 it presents a short rest, and it is useful when suggesting a pause from work.
好像
好像 means “seem” or “appear to” in 好像会有帮助, making the assessment less definite. The pattern 好像 + a clause is useful when giving a tentative opinion about a possible result.
会
会 in 好像会有帮助 expresses an expected or likely result: the break seems likely to help. The pattern 好像会 + a result is useful when predicting what may happen without stating it as certain.
有
有 contributes the idea of help being present in 有帮助, which together means “be helpful.” The pattern 有帮助 is useful for saying that an action or thing benefits someone, as the break is expected to do here.
帮助
帮助 means “help” or “benefit” in 有帮助. It completes the expression that something is helpful, and 有帮助 is useful when evaluating whether an action or situation benefits someone.
可以
可以 means “can” or “be able to” in 我们可以伸展一下, presenting stretching as an available option. The pattern 可以 + a verb is useful when suggesting an action that is possible or acceptable.
伸展
伸展 means “stretch” in 伸展一下, referring to a brief physical stretch during the break. It can be followed by 一下 for a short action, and it is useful after sitting or working for a while.
然后
然后 means “then” or “after that” in 伸展一下，然后再坐下来. It links the stretching to the following action, and the pattern 然后 + the next action is useful for describing an order of activities.
再
再 means “again” or “then later” in 再坐下来, indicating that sitting down will happen after the stretch. The pattern 再 + a verb is useful when an action is repeated or postponed until a later point.
坐
坐 means “sit” in 坐下来. It names the action that follows the break activity, and 坐下来 is useful when saying that someone returns to a seated position.
下来
下来 completes 坐下来 and adds the idea of moving down into a seated position. The expression 坐下来 is useful when telling someone to sit down or describing sitting down again after standing or moving.
完
完 appears in both 喝完咖啡后 and 完成. In 喝完咖啡后 it shows that drinking the coffee is completed before the next event, while in 完成 it contributes the idea of completing the task; these forms are useful when marking an action as finished.
后
后 means “after” in 喝完咖啡后, placing the return to work after the coffee has been finished. The pattern an event or time + 后 is useful for scheduling what happens afterward.
回去
回去 means “return” or “go back” in 回去做报告, referring to going back to the report after the break. It can be followed by the activity resumed, and it is useful when returning to work or another previous place or task.
做
做 means “do” or “work on” in 做报告. Here it introduces the task the speakers will resume, and 做 + a task is useful when describing work on an assignment or project.
报告
报告 means “report” and is the task in 做报告. It follows 做 as the activity being worked on, and 做报告 is useful in a workplace or study context when discussing report work.
吗
吗 turns 回去做报告吗 into a yes-or-no question about returning to the report. It is placed at the end of the question, and it is useful when asking another person to confirm a plan.
到时候
到时候 means “at that time” or “then” in 到时候我们可以完成下一部分, referring back to the time after coffee. It is useful at the beginning of a statement about what will happen when a previously mentioned time arrives.
完成
完成 means “finish” or “complete” in 完成下一部分. It takes the task being finished after it, here 下一部分, and it is useful for describing completion of part of a report or another task.
下一
下一 means “next” in 下一部分, identifying the part that comes after the current one. It appears before the following unit or noun, and it is useful when organizing work into successive parts.
部分
部分 means “part” or “section” in 下一部分. It is the object of 完成, and the pattern 下一部分 is useful when referring to the next section of a report or task.
前
前 means “before” in 我们离开前, placing the saving action before leaving. The pattern an event or action + 前 is useful when setting a deadline for something that must happen first.
保存
保存 means “save” in 保存文件. It describes storing the current file so that the work is kept, and 保存 + a file or other item is useful when protecting work before taking a break or leaving.
文件
文件 means “file” and is the object of 保存 in 保存文件. It refers to the work file being protected, and 保存文件 is useful when discussing computer work.
现在
现在 means “now” in 现在保存文件吧, making the saving action immediate. It can be placed before the action, and it is useful when asking someone to do something without delay.
这样
这样 means “this way” or “so” in 这样我们就不会丢失任何东西, linking the suggested saving action to its result. The pattern 这样 + a result clause is useful when explaining how one action prevents a problem.
就
就 marks the consequence in 这样我们就不会丢失任何东西, showing what follows from saving the file now. The pattern 这样……就…… is useful for connecting a method or action with its expected result.
不会
不会 means “will not” or “will not be expected to” in 不会丢失任何东西. It negates the expected result of losing anything, and 不会 + a verb is useful for reassuring someone about a future outcome.
丢失
丢失 means “lose” or “be lost” in 丢失任何东西. It is followed by the things that might be lost, and 丢失 + an item is useful when discussing preventing the loss of belongings or work.
任何
任何 means “any” in 任何东西, giving the object a broad meaning that includes no item at all. The pattern 任何 + a noun is useful when referring to an unrestricted item or group of items.
东西
东西 means “thing” or “anything” in 丢失任何东西. It is the object of 丢失 and follows 任何, and 任何东西 is useful when referring generally to whatever might otherwise be lost.
Grammar Points
然后 + 动作
然后坐下来
ránhòu zuò xiàláiand then sit down
然后放在下一个动作前，表示动作按时间顺序发生。
动词 + 下来
坐下来
zuò xiàláisit down
下来放在动词后，表示动作从站立状态转为坐下的结果。
Chinese Vocabulary
帮助
verb
bāngzhù
help
短暂
adj
duǎnzàn
short; brief
好像
adv
hǎoxiàng
seem; appear to
喝咖啡
phrase
hē kāfēi
drink coffee
回去
verb
huíqù
return; go back
集中注意力
phrase
jízhōng zhùyìlì
concentrate; focus one's attention
开始
verb
kāishǐ
begin; start
离开
verb
líkāi
leave; step away
然后
adv
ránhòu
then; and then
伸展
verb
shēnzhǎn
stretch
休息
verb
xiūxi
rest; take a break
坐下来
phrase
zuò xiàlái
sit down
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
concentrate; focus one's attention
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集中注意力then; and then
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然后help
Show Answer
帮助sit down