About This Lesson
Use Feeling Tired at Work to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
今天我有很多工作。
Jīntiān wǒ yǒu hěn duō gōngzuò. I have a lot of work today.
B
你看起来很累，所以休息一下吧。
Nǐ kàn qǐlái hěn lèi, suǒyǐ xiūxi yíxià ba. You look tired, so take a break.
A
我很担心，因为截止日期快到了。
Wǒ hěn dānxīn, yīnwèi jiézhǐ rìqī kuài dào le. I'm worried because the deadline is approaching.
B
暂时离开一下，之后你会工作得更好。
Zànshí líkāi yíxià, zhīhòu nǐ huì gōngzuò de gèng hǎo. Stepping away can help you work better afterward.
A
也许我应该让眼睛休息一分钟。
Yěxǔ wǒ yīnggāi ràng yǎnjing xiūxi yì fēnzhōng. Maybe I should rest my eyes for a minute.
B
喝点水，慢慢呼吸一分钟。
Hē diǎn shuǐ, mànmàn hūxī yì fēnzhōng. Drink water and breathe slowly for a minute.
A
这样我就能完成最后一部分。
Zhèyàng wǒ jiù néng wánchéng zuìhòu yí bùfen. Then I can finish the last section.
B
你休息的时候，我会检查草稿。
Nǐ xiūxi de shíhou, wǒ huì jiǎnchá cǎogǎo. I will review the draft while you rest.Word by Word
今天
今天 means “today” in 今天我有很多工作。It identifies the current day and commonly comes before the subject or the rest of the sentence to set the time.
我
我 means “I” or “me” in 今天我有很多工作。It is the speaker referring to themself and can come before the action or situation being described.
有
有 means “have” in 我有很多工作。Here it introduces what the speaker has, with 很多工作 following it as the thing possessed.
很多
很多 means “a lot of” in 很多工作. It expresses a large amount before the noun 工作 and can be reused before a noun to describe quantity.
工作
工作 means “work” in 很多工作. Here it is the work the speaker has to do, and 很多 comes before it to describe the amount.
你
你 means “you” in 你看起来很累. It refers to the person being addressed and comes before the description of that person.
看起来
看起来 means “look” or “appear” in 你看起来很累. In this expression, 看 contributes the idea of looking and 起来 contributes the resulting appearance as perceived; the whole expression describes how someone seems, followed by 很累.
很
很 marks the degree of the adjective 累 in 很累, making the description “tired” sound natural and indicating a considerable degree here. It is placed before the adjective it modifies.
累
累 means “tired” in 你看起来很累. It describes the person’s condition after 看起来 and can be used as the description of how someone feels or appears.
所以
所以 means “so” or “therefore” in 所以休息一下吧. It introduces the suggestion that follows as a consequence of the listener looking tired.
休息
休息 means “rest” in 休息一下吧. It is the action being suggested, and it can be followed by 一下 to present the action as brief.
一下
一下 makes 休息一下 a brief or limited action, meaning “rest for a moment.” As a whole, the expression softens and bounds the action; 一 and 下 together contribute the sense of one short period, rather than naming a separate object.
吧
吧 softens 休息一下吧 into a suggestion or gentle recommendation. It is placed at the end of the sentence when the speaker is encouraging the listener to do something.
担心
担心 means “be worried” in 我很担心. It describes the speaker’s concern, and 很 before it indicates the degree of that concern here.
因为
因为 means “because” in 因为截止日期快到了. It introduces the reason for the speaker being worried and is followed by the reason clause.
截止日期
截止日期 means “deadline” in 截止日期快到了. The whole expression names the date by which something must be completed; 截止 contributes the cutoff point and 日期 contributes the date. It can be used as the subject of a sentence about a deadline.
快
快 means “soon” or “nearly” in 快到了. Before 到了, it shows that the deadline is close to reaching its time rather than already far away.
到
到 means “arrive” or “reach” in 截止日期快到了. Together with 快 and 了, it describes the deadline as approaching its point in time.
了
了 in 快到了 marks a changed or newly relevant situation: the deadline has become close. Here it does not simply mean that an action was completed.
暂时
暂时 means “temporarily” or “for now” in 暂时离开一下. It limits the duration of leaving and commonly comes before the action it modifies.
离开
离开 means “leave” or “step away” in 暂时离开一下. It describes moving away from the current place or task for a short time, with 暂时 and 一下 limiting the action.
之后
之后 means “afterward” or “later” in 之后你会工作得更好. It places the improved work after the temporary break and can introduce what happens following an earlier action.
会
会 in 你会工作得更好 expresses an expected future result: “you will work better.” It comes before the action phrase 工作得更好 to show what is expected to happen afterward.
得
得 links 工作 to the result or degree phrase 更好 in 工作得更好. This lets the sentence describe how the working is carried out, with 更好 giving the resulting degree.
更
更 means “more” or “better” in 工作得更好. It marks 好 as an improvement compared with the current situation and appears directly before 好.
好
好 means “well” in 工作得更好, where 更好 means “better.” It describes the quality of the action 工作 through the pattern 工作得更好.
也许
也许 means “maybe” or “perhaps” in 也许我应该让眼睛休息一分钟. It shows that the speaker is considering an idea without presenting it as certain, and it comes before the subject and suggestion.
应该
应该 means “should” in 我应该让眼睛休息一分钟. It presents the action as advisable for the speaker and comes before the action phrase that follows.
让
让 means “let” or “make” in 让眼睛休息一分钟. It introduces the person or thing affected, 眼睛, followed by the action those eyes are to do; the reusable pattern is 让 + object + action.
眼睛
眼睛 means “eyes” in 让眼睛休息一分钟. It is the thing being allowed or caused to rest after 让 and before 休息.
分钟
分钟 means “minute” in 休息一分钟 and 呼吸一分钟. With 一 before it, it gives the length of the action and can follow a number to express a duration.
喝
喝 means “drink” in 喝点水. It is the first action in the suggestion and is followed by 点水 to express drinking a small amount of water.
点
点 means “some” or “a little” in 喝点水. It gives a small, nonspecific amount before 水 and makes the suggestion sound moderate.
水
水 means “water” in 喝点水. It is the object of 喝, with 点 before it indicating a small amount.
慢慢
慢慢 means “slowly” in 慢慢呼吸. It describes the manner of 呼吸 and can be placed before an action to tell someone to do that action at a slow pace.
呼吸
呼吸 means “breathe” in 慢慢呼吸一分钟. It is the action being recommended, modified by 慢慢 and followed by 一分钟 to give its duration.
这样
这样 means “this way” or “in this way” in 这样我就能完成最后一部分. It refers to the preceding rest, drinking, and slow breathing, then introduces the result that follows.
就
就 in 这样我就能完成最后一部分 marks the resulting consequence: “then” or “in that case.” It appears before 能 and connects the preceding situation with what the speaker can do next.
能
能 means “can” or “be able to” in 我就能完成最后一部分. It expresses the speaker’s ability to complete the section as a result of the preceding actions and comes before 完成.
完成
完成 means “finish” or “complete” in 完成最后一部分. It takes 最后一部分 as the thing to be completed and can be used before the object of a task.
最后
最后 means “last” or “final” in 最后一部分. It describes 一部分 as the final section and comes before the noun phrase it modifies.
部分
部分 means “part” or “section” in 最后一部分. It is the section to be completed, with 最后 specifying that it is the final one.
的
的 connects 你休息 with 时候 in 你休息的时候, forming “when you rest” or “the time when you rest.” It links the preceding clause to the time noun that follows.
时候
时候 means “time” or “when” in 你休息的时候. Together with the clause before 的, it specifies the time during which the speaker will check the draft.
检查
检查 means “check” or “review” in 我会检查草稿. It describes examining the draft, and 草稿 follows it as the object being reviewed.
草稿
草稿 means “draft” in 检查草稿. It is the document that the speaker will review, placed after 检查 as its object.
Grammar Points
因为……，所以……
因为工作很多，所以很累。
Yīnwèi gōngzuò hěn duō, suǒyǐ hěn lèi.Because there is a lot of work, [someone] is very tired.
This paired structure expresses cause and result: 因为 introduces the reason, and 所以 introduces the result.
……的时候
完成最后一部分的时候，检查草稿。
Wánchéng zuìhòu yí bùfen de shíhou, jiǎnchá cǎogǎo.When finishing the last part, check the draft.
的时候 follows a time clause and means “when” or “while”; the time clause comes before the main action.
Chinese Vocabulary
担心
verb
dānxīn
to worry; worried
工作
noun
gōngzuò
work; to work
很多
det
hěn duō
a lot of; many
很累
adj
hěn lèi
very tired
截止日期
noun
jiézhǐ rìqī
deadline
今天
noun
jīntiān
today
看起来
verb
kàn qǐlái
to look; to seem
快到了
phrase
kuài dào le
to be approaching; to be almost here
所以
conj
suǒyǐ
so; therefore
休息一下
phrase
xiūxi yíxià
take a short break; rest for a bit
因为
conj
yīnwèi
because
暂时
adv
zànshí
temporarily; for the time being
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
take a short break; rest for a bit
Show Answer
休息一下deadline
Show Answer
截止日期to be approaching; to be almost here
Show Answer
快到了today