take five

USAGE SUMMARY

"take five" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to tell someone to take a short break, usually for five minutes. For example, "It's been a long day, let's take five."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

We'll take five".

The New Yorker

"We'll take five minibusters".

The New York Times

"It should never take five years.

The New York Times

"I thought it would take five years.

The New York Times

Hell, why not take five!

The Guardian

"It will take five years.

The New Yorker

This one didn't take five minutes.

The New York Times - Sports

It'd take five seconds, that's all.

The Guardian - Sport

I'm only going to take five minutes.

The New York Times - Health

They then take five more minutes to answer questions.

The New York Times - Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

Will that take five hundred years?

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "take five" to casually suggest a short break, especially when working with others. It's less formal than "take a break" and implies a quick pause.

Common error

Avoid using "take five" in professional or academic writing. Opt for more formal alternatives like "pause briefly" or "take a short break" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "take five" functions as an imperative, often used to suggest or instruct someone to take a short break. Ludwig provides examples showing its use in various contexts, reinforcing its role as a directive for a temporary pause.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

39%

Wiki

28%

Huffington Post

11%

Less common in

Science

7%

Formal & Business

3%

Los Angeles Times

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "take five" is a common and generally acceptable idiom that suggests taking a short break. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically sound and widely understood. While predominantly used in informal and neutral contexts like news articles and general conversation, it should be avoided in formal writing. Alternatives like "pause briefly" or "take a short break" are more appropriate for professional settings. With a very high occurrence in sources like The New York Times and The Guardian, "take five" remains a versatile and recognized way to recommend a quick pause.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

take a break

A more general term for stopping an activity for a short period, less specific than "take five".

have a short rest

Similar to "take a break" but emphasizes the rest aspect.

have a breather

Replaces "take five" with a more informal expression for a short rest.

take a breather

Implies pausing to catch one's breath or relax momentarily.

pause briefly

Emphasizes the action of pausing for a short duration, similar to taking a five-minute break.

take a pause

Directly refers to the act of pausing, similar to "pause briefly".

rest for a moment

Highlights resting as the primary action during the short break.

catch your breath

Suggests a pause to recover or relax, especially after exertion.

stop for a while

Indicates a temporary cessation of activity, though not necessarily for relaxation.

interrupt briefly

Focuses on the interruption of an activity, implying a short duration.

FAQs

How can I use "take five" in a sentence?

You can use "take five" to suggest a short break, as in, "Let's "take five" before we start the next task".

What's a more formal alternative to "take five"?

For formal situations, consider using phrases like "pause briefly", "take a short break", or "interrupt briefly".

Is "take five" appropriate for professional communication?

While "take five" is acceptable in casual conversation, it is best to use more formal language, such as "take a break" or "take a pause", in professional contexts.

What does "take five" mean?

"Take five" typically means to take a short break, often assumed to be around five minutes. It's a common idiom used to suggest a brief pause in an activity.