Taking a screen break for tired eyes | Learn German in English

About This Lesson

Use Taking a screen break for tired eyes to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Meine Augen sind müde.

MY-nuh OW-gen zint MEW-duh. My eyes are tired.

Mach eine kurze Pause vom Bildschirm.

MAKH EYE-nuh KOORTS-uh POW-zuh fohm BILT-shirm. Take a short break from the screen.

Wie lange soll ich wegschauen?

VEE LANG-uh zoll ikh VEKH-show-un? How long should I look away?

Schau eine Minute weg.

SHOW EYE-nuh mee-NOO-tuh vek. Look away for a minute.

Ich kann mich ausruhen und dabei etwas Wasser trinken.

ikh kahn mikh OWSS-roo-en oont dah-BYE ET-vahs VAHSS-er TRINK-en. I can drink some water while I rest.

Das sollte deinen Augen guttun.

DAHSS ZOLL-tuh DYE-nen OW-gen GOOT-toon. That should help your eyes feel better.

Dann kann ich die Aufgabe fertig machen.

DAHN kahn ikh dee OWF-gah-buh FERT-ikh MAKH-en. Then I can finish the task.

Mach zuerst die Pause, dann mach die Aufgabe fertig.

MAKH tsoo-AIRST dee POW-zuh, DAHN MAKH dee OWF-gah-buh FERT-ikh. Take the break first, then finish the task.

Word by Word

Meine “Meine” means “my” and identifies the eyes as belonging to the speaker. It is the form of “mein” used before plural “Augen”; use it before a noun to show possession. A learner can use it when describing their own body or belongings.

Augen “Augen” means “eyes” in this dialogue. It is the plural form of “Auge” and is the subject of “Meine Augen sind müde.” Use it when talking about the eyes, especially about how they feel after screen work.

sind “Sind” means “are” and links the eyes with their condition in “Meine Augen sind müde.” It is the form of “sein” used with “Meine Augen.” Use it in statements about what plural people or things are like.

müde “Müde” means “tired” and describes the condition of the eyes. It follows “sind” in “Meine Augen sind müde.” Use it when someone needs rest because they have little energy or feel tired.

Mach “Mach” gives the instruction to take or make the break in “Mach eine kurze Pause.” It is the singular command form of “machen” addressed to one person. Use it when directly telling one person to do something.

eine “Eine” means “a” in “eine kurze Pause.” It introduces the singular noun “Pause” and agrees with that noun here. Use it before a single feminine noun when referring to one nonspecific thing.

kurze “Kurze” means “short” and describes the break in “eine kurze Pause.” Its ending fits the phrase after “eine”; the basic adjective form is “kurz.” Use it before a noun when describing something that lasts only a little while.

Pause “Pause” means “break,” specifically a short rest from the screen here. It is the object of the instruction “Mach eine kurze Pause.” Use it for a rest taken during work, study, or another activity.

vom “Vom” means “from the” in “vom Bildschirm,” marking the screen as the activity being left for a break. It combines “von” and “dem” in this expression. Use it before a masculine or neuter noun when describing separation or distance from something.

Bildschirm “Bildschirm” means “screen,” and here it is the screen from which the person should take a break. It appears after “vom” in “vom Bildschirm.” Use it when talking about a computer, phone, or other visual display.

Wie “Wie” means “how” in the question “Wie lange soll ich wegschauen?” Together with “lange,” it asks about duration. Use it at the beginning of a question when asking how something is measured or experienced.

lange “Lange” means “long” in the duration question “Wie lange soll ich wegschauen?” The phrase “Wie lange” asks for the length of time. Use it with “Wie” when asking how much time an action should take.

soll “Soll” expresses what the speaker is advised or expected to do in “Wie lange soll ich wegschauen?” It is the form of “sollen” used with “ich” in this question. Use it when asking or stating what someone should do.

ich “Ich” means “I” and identifies the person who should look away in “Wie lange soll ich wegschauen?” It is the subject of the question. Use it when speaking about yourself.

wegschauen “Wegschauen” means “look away” in the question about resting the eyes. It is the infinitive used after “soll” in “Wie lange soll ich wegschauen?” Use it when telling or asking someone to stop looking at something.

Schau “Schau” gives the direct instruction to look in “Schau eine Minute weg.” It is the singular command form used when addressing one person. Use it when telling one person to look at something or direct their gaze.

Minute “Minute” means “minute,” the length of time for looking away in “Schau eine Minute weg.” It follows “eine” as the time expression. Use it when specifying a short duration for an action.

weg “Weg” contributes the meaning “away” in “Schau eine Minute weg.” Together with “Schau,” it tells the listener to direct their gaze away from the screen. Use it in this kind of instruction when someone should stop looking at the current object.

kann “Kann” means “can” and shows that the speaker is able or allowed to rest and drink water. It is the form of “können” used with “ich” in “Ich kann mich ausruhen.” Use it before an infinitive to say what someone can do.

mich “Mich” means “myself” in the reflexive expression “mich ausruhen,” which means to rest. It refers back to the speaker, the subject “Ich.” Use it with a reflexive action when the person doing the action is also affected by it.

ausruhen “Ausruhen” means “rest” in “Ich kann mich ausruhen.” It is used with “mich” here and appears as an infinitive after “kann.” Use it when describing taking time to recover or relax.

und “Und” means “and” and joins resting with drinking water in “mich ausruhen und dabei etwas Wasser trinken.” It connects two related actions in the same statement. Use it to add another action or piece of information.

dabei “Dabei” means “while doing that” and links drinking water with the resting action already mentioned. In “und dabei etwas Wasser trinken,” it shows that the two actions happen together. Use it to refer back to an action that is happening at the same time.

etwas “Etwas” means “some” or “some amount of” in “etwas Wasser trinken.” It indicates an unspecified amount of water. Use it before an uncountable substance when the amount is not specified.

Wasser “Wasser” means “water,” the drink mentioned in “etwas Wasser trinken.” It is used after “etwas” to name an unspecified amount. Use it when talking about drinking water during a break or in everyday situations.

trinken “Trinken” means “drink” in “etwas Wasser trinken.” It is an infinitive coordinated with “ausruhen” under “kann,” so it describes another thing the speaker can do. Use it before a drink when saying that someone drinks it.

Das “Das” means “that” and refers to the break and related actions just described in “Das sollte deinen Augen guttun.” It points back to the preceding situation as a whole. Use it to refer to something already mentioned.

sollte “Sollte” means “should” and expresses an expectation that the action will help the eyes. It is the form used in “Das sollte deinen Augen guttun.” Use it when giving gentle advice or saying that an expected result is likely.

deinen “Deinen” means “your” and identifies the eyes as belonging to the person being addressed in “deinen Augen.” Its form is used with plural “Augen” in this expression; the basic possessive form is “dein.” Use it before a noun when addressing one person about something belonging to them.

guttun “Guttun” means “do good” or “help” in the expression “deinen Augen guttun.” The whole expression says that something is beneficial for the eyes, while “gut” supplies the idea of being good. Use it when explaining that an action or treatment benefits someone or something.

Dann “Dann” means “then” and marks the next step after the break in “Dann kann ich die Aufgabe fertig machen.” It places one action after another. Use it to introduce what happens after an earlier action or condition.

die “Die” means “the” in “die Aufgabe,” referring to a specific task. It introduces the noun that the speaker plans to finish. Use it before a known or previously identified noun.

Aufgabe “Aufgabe” means “task,” the work that the speaker wants to finish. It appears in “die Aufgabe fertig machen.” Use it for a piece of work that someone needs to complete at work, school, or elsewhere.

fertig “Fertig” contributes the meaning “finished” in “die Aufgabe fertig machen,” which means to finish the task. It describes the completed state that the action brings about. Use it with “machen” when saying that an activity or piece of work will be completed.

machen “Machen” means “make” or “do,” and in “die Aufgabe fertig machen” it helps express “finish the task.” It is an infinitive after “kann” in “Dann kann ich die Aufgabe fertig machen.” Use it with “fertig” when saying that someone completes a task.

zuerst “Zuerst” means “first” and sets the order in “Mach zuerst die Pause.” It says that the break must happen before finishing the task. Use it to identify the first action in a sequence.

Grammar Points

Possessivbegleiter vor Nomen

meine Augen, deinen Bildschirm

MY-nuh OW-gen, DYE-nen BILT-shirm

my eyes, your screen

German possessive forms change with the noun: meine is used with plural Augen, while deinen marks masculine accusative Bildschirm.

Imperativ: Mach + ...

Mach zuerst Pause.

MAKH tsoo-AIRST POW-zuh

Take a break first.

Mach is the informal singular imperative of machen, used to give a direct instruction to one person.

German Vocabulary

Auge noun

OW-guh eye Augen

Meine Augen sind müde.

Bildschirm noun

BILT-shirm screen

Mach eine kurze Pause vom Bildschirm.

Ich pron

ikh I

Ich kann mich ausruhen und dabei etwas Wasser trinken.

kurze adj

KOORTS-uh short

Mach eine kurze Pause vom Bildschirm.

machen verb

MAKH-en to make; to do Mach

Mach eine kurze Pause vom Bildschirm.

meine det

MY-nuh my

Meine Augen sind müde.

Minute noun

mee-NOO-tuh minute

Schau eine Minute weg.

müde adj

MEW-duh tired

Meine Augen sind müde.

Pause noun

POW-zuh break

Mach eine kurze Pause vom Bildschirm.

sich ausruhen verb

zikh OWSS-roo-en to rest mich ausruhen

Ich kann mich ausruhen und dabei etwas Wasser trinken.

wegschauen verb

VEK-shou-un to look away

Wie lange soll ich wegschauen?

wie lange phrase

VEE LANG-uh how long

Wie lange soll ich wegschauen?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

My eyes are tired.

Show Answer

Meine Augen sind müde.

Take a short break from the screen.

Show Answer

Mach eine kurze Pause vom Bildschirm.

How long should I look away?

Show Answer

Wie lange soll ich wegschauen?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

short

Show Answer

kurze

break

Show Answer

Pause

tired

Show Answer

müde

Show Answer

meine