Learn Hardcore Japanese: kaigi ga owawattara, koohii wo nonde rirakkususimasu. - I relax by drinking coffee after the meeting ends.

終わったら is the -たら form of the verb 終わる (“to end”). It means “once/after (something) has ended,” setting up a condition: once the meeting ends, the next actions follow.

Why is 会議 marked with が instead of を?

Because 終わる is an intransitive verb (things end by themselves), so the thing that ends takes the subject particle が. If it were transitive (you end something), you’d use を, but here the meeting simply “ends.”

What role does the -て form play in 飲んでリラックスします?

The -て form in 飲んで links actions in sequence. It means “drink (coffee) and then relax.” It smoothly joins the two verbs to show the order of activities.

Could you say コーヒーを飲んでからリラックスします instead?

Yes. Using 飲んでから (the -てから construction) explicitly means “after drinking coffee.” It more strongly emphasizes the sequence, but the overall meaning remains the same.

What’s the difference between 終わったら and 終わると?

終わったら (-たら) expresses “once/after I finish,” implying intention or plan. 終わると (-と) describes automatic or habitual outcomes (“whenever/whenever it ends, then…”) and often sounds less personal or planned.

Why is リラックスします written in katakana?

It’s a loanword from English relax, turned into a する-verb. Katakana is used for foreign words, so リラックス shows its English origin.

Why is the sentence in polite form (します)?

Using the ます form makes the statement polite—appropriate for workplace or formal contexts. In casual speech you could use plain form (リラックスする).

Can this sentence be shortened in casual speech?

Yes. Informally you might say: 会議終わったらコーヒー飲んでリラックスする。 Here you can drop particles (が, を) and use the plain verb する to sound more conversational.