short break — brief rest
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
A short period of time when you stop what you are doing to relax or recover before continuing.
Say it like a native
Textbook I shall take a brief interval of respite.
Native I'll just take a short break.
Natural; 'a brief interval of respite' is overwrought.
Pattern: take/have a short break
In use
- Let’s take a short break before we start the next meeting.daily life
- In my opinion, taking a short break during work helps me stay productive and reduces stress.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Let's have a short break for relax.
✓ Let's have a short break to relax.
'To relax' (purpose), not 'for relax'.
Common collocations
a short break— take, have, quick, short break from
Don't confuse it
A 'short break' is usually a few minutes, while a 'holiday' or 'vacation' is much longer.