Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kprrok]

I'm an American and I do say "take a rest" when I want to relax.

KPRROK

[SirFink]

[driftingfocus]

[VanIslander]

this thread: let it rest

[Dome Vans]

I hear my teachers and students say it a lot and it just sounds wrong but it's been drummed in.

If you're given advice, such as from a doctor then he/she'll say "take a rest" but if I'm talking about myself personally "I'll have a rest".

'Take a break' is more of an order and a bad British lifestyle magazine.
If it were any other way then for your colleagues who are constantly on a break then you could never say "You've had more breaks than Steve Davis"

If I ask my students what they'll do at the weekend it's always 'take a rest' Why?

[Privateer]

I've never heard anyone from any country say 'take a rest' except Koreans.

[mnhnhyouh]

[Dome Vans]

I've had a few chats with my co-teachers about this expression. Basically from what they've said and I can deduce is that:

In England, I ask you want you're up to at the weekend. You'll probably say nothing, or tell me one thing you might do. My co-teacher said that in Korea this expression is almost a direct translation of what they'd say in Korean. 'Take a rest' includes watching tv, playing computer games, anything that you might do at home. Probably similar to what we would call 'relaxing', I suppose.

I found in my textbook, two other expressions that made me fume:

Going into a shop and saying "Do you carry stamps?" To the shop assistant. Also there was the phrase "Not a few people are left-handed in the US" WTF! Surely it's a lot of people are.

Talking about it they thought that Koreans are adding their own phrases into English, hence my not understanding these phrases. My argument with him was that it's probably best to learn the basic phrases in English and master them before going off on a tangent and inventing your own slang. Maybe I'm wrong. I shouldn't learn French in a way that I think is correct, inventing my own phrases then expect to go to France and get by without people looking at me as though I'm speaking a different language.

Language interests me a great deal, so I found this interesting to talk about with them but maybe I'm alone on this!

[crusher_of_heads]

[Hanson]

[Lynns]

[articulate_ink]

Take a rest generally means to take a short rest break from something you're doing. It also means that you're not finished. Take a break means about the same thing. It implies the task is difficult (studying, cleaning your house, driving a long distance) and you need to relax a bit before getting back to it. When Koreans say it, they usually seem to be talking about what English native speakers say as getting some rest.

[xeno439]

It sounds awkward to me and I would never say it. It could be a regional thing if some Americans say it. However, I can't recall hearing it in any movies or television shows either.

[agoodmouse]

[VanIslander]