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Glite Dictionary
to take ten

to take ten

1 5.1
A short ten-minute break during work or rehearsal
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : tomar un descanso de diez minutos
  • During rehearsal, the director called a break to take ten and regroup.
  • take ten minutes

Examples

  • After practicing for an hour, the coach said it was time to take ten.

  • After working for an hour, let’s take ten and grab a snack.

  • The director called for everyone to take ten before the final scene.

  • We decided to take ten to stretch our legs during the long meeting.

  • Let's take ten before we continue.

  • The teacher said to take ten after the rehearsal.

  • Let's take ten and relax before we continue working on the project.

Synonyms

to take a break
vsto take ten
496 1.4

To stop doing something for a short time to rest or relax before continuing

is a set ten minute rest often used during group rehearsals
to take a moment
vsto take ten
98 3.4

Stop for a short time to think, rest or remember something

is a longer brief pause mainly used during group rehearsals
to take five
vsto take ten
  • Informal
28 4.2

Have a short break for about five minutes

is a slightly longer short pause used in group rehearsals
to take time out
vsto take ten
24 3.2

Stop what you are doing to rest or do something different for a short time

is used specifically as a short scheduled pause in group rehearsals
to take a breather
vsto take ten
  • Informal
14 3.5

To stop and rest for a short time

is a brief ten minute pause mainly for group or rehearsal use

Antonyms

to carry on
253 2.7

To continue doing something after an interruption or when it is difficult

How Long

to take a break
496 1.4
to take ten
1 5.1
to take five
  • Informal
28 4.2

Surface Forms

take ten infinitive
taking ten present participle
takes ten third person singular
took ten past
taken ten past participle

Morphology

take + ten

The meaning is partly inferable: a learner can guess that 'take ten' means 'take ten (minutes)' because of 'take' + the numeral 'ten', and in rehearsal or group contexts this typically signals a short break. However, the expression relies on a conventional omission of 'minutes' and a speech-act pattern ('take [number]' = take a break) that may not be fully predictable to all B1 learners without exposure.

Etymology

Take ten comes from people literally taking ten minutes to rest, like when a director or leader told everyone to step away for a short time during rehearsals or meetings. So, take ten means 'to take a short break'.