kusuri wo nonda ato, sukosi yasumimasu.

Yes, 飲む literally means to drink, but in Japanese it is also the normal verb used for taking medicine, including pills.

• 薬を飲む = to take medicine
• Even if the medicine is a tablet, Japanese still commonly uses 飲む

So this is a very natural expression, not a strange metaphor.

を marks the direct object of the verb.

In this sentence:

• 薬 = medicine
• を = marks what is being taken/drunk
• 飲んだ = took / drank

So 薬を飲んだ means took medicine.

A native English speaker may expect something like with or no marker at all, but in Japanese the object of 飲む is marked with を.

Because when Japanese says after doing something, it usually uses the plain past form of the verb before あと.

Pattern:

• Vた + あと = after doing V

So:

• 飲む = to take/drink
• 飲んだ = took
• 飲んだあと = after taking

This does not necessarily mean the whole sentence is in the past. It means that the action of taking the medicine is completed before the next action.

Great question. In Japanese, the tense in a clause like 飲んだあと shows the timing relative to the next action, not necessarily the overall time of the whole sentence.

So:

• 飲んだあと = after taking it
• 休みます = will rest / rest

The sentence can mean something like:

• After I take the medicine, I’ll rest.
• After taking medicine, I rest a little.

The first action is shown as completed first, and the second action is the main statement.

Here あと means after.

In this grammar pattern, it follows a verb phrase:

• 飲んだあと = after taking medicine

It connects two actions in sequence:

1. take medicine
2. rest a little

So it works like after in English, but the Japanese structure is:

• [completed action] + あと
• then the main action

It can be used by itself, as in this sentence, and that is perfectly natural.

You may also see:

• 飲んだあとで、少し休みます。

This means almost the same thing: After taking medicine, I’ll rest a little.

Very roughly:

• あと = simple, direct
• あとで = also common, sometimes slightly smoother or more conversational in context

Both are correct here.

Because Japanese often leaves out the subject when it is obvious from context.

So 薬を飲んだあと、少し休みます。 naturally implies something like:

• I will rest a little after taking medicine
• or After taking the medicine, he/she rests a little

The exact subject depends on context. Japanese does this very often, much more than English.

少し means a little or for a short while.

In this sentence it modifies 休みます:

• 少し休みます = rest a little / rest for a bit

So it does not mean a small type of rest. It means the amount or duration of resting is small.

Because 休みます means to rest, while 寝ます means to sleep / go to bed.

So:

• 休みます = rest
• 寝ます = sleep

In this sentence, 休みます is broader and softer. It could mean sitting down, taking it easy, or lying down for a bit. It does not necessarily mean actually sleeping.

休みます is the polite non-past form.

Japanese non-past can mean:

• present/habitual: I rest
• future: I will rest

So depending on context, this sentence could mean:

• After I take medicine, I rest a little.
• After I take the medicine, I’ll rest a little.

Japanese often relies on context rather than changing forms the way English does.

No, it is not strictly necessary, but it is very common and helpful.

• 薬を飲んだあと、少し休みます。
• 薬を飲んだあと少し休みます。

Both are understandable.

The comma makes the pause clearer, especially because 飲んだあと is a time phrase that sets up the main action.

Yes, a little.

For example:

• 薬を飲んだあと、少し休みます。
• 薬を飲んだあと、休みます。
• 少し、薬を飲んだあと休みます。 ← possible in some contexts, but less natural here

The original sentence is the most natural basic order:

1. time/action phrase: 薬を飲んだあと
2. adverb: 少し
3. main verb: 休みます

Japanese word order is flexible, but not all rearrangements sound equally natural.

Here 薬 is read くすり.

So the whole sentence is read:

くすり を のんだ あと、すこし やすみます。

Useful word readings:

• 薬 = くすり
• 飲んだ = のんだ
• 少し = すこし
• 休みます = やすみます

Yes, literally it is built from drink, so after drinking medicine is not wrong. But in natural English, when 薬 is involved, the best translation is usually take medicine.

So:

• literal idea: drink medicine
• natural English meaning: take medicine

That is why learners should remember 薬を飲む as a set phrase meaning to take medicine.