Word
休息
Meaning in Englishrest, relaxation, relief
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
What does 休息 mean? It denotes a period of rest or pause from activity intended for recovery of energy; as a noun it describes taking time to recover physically or mentally, and it is commonly found in health guidance, workplace communication, and everyday life.
Main meanings
- Primary sense: rest or repose, indicating a cessation of activity to recover energy
- Medical or wellness nuance: rest advised to promote healing or reduce fatigue
- Temporal nuance: refers to a scheduled pause or break within a day or period
- Formal usage: appears in discussions of welfare, labor, or health policy to describe mandated breaks
- Common associations: rest period, rest day, a state of being at ease
How to use it
Used in formal writing, medical contexts, and everyday speech to describe taking time to recover; in casual talk speakers may prefer synonyms like 休養 or 休憩 depending on nuance; it can be associated with taking a break during work, illness recovery, or a general pause in daily activities.
Variants and close terms
- 休養 (kyūyō) — rest, recuperation
- 安静 (ansei) — rest, quiet; often in medical contexts
- 休憩 (kyūkei) — break, intermission; emphasizes a pause from activity
Composition
- 休: rest, pause; depicts a person taking a break (the character conveys the idea of stepping away)
- 息: breath, respiration; represents the act of breathing and life energy
- When combined as 休息, they encode the concept of pausing to breathe and regain energy
Word class
Noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N3
休暇
kyuuka
vacation, leave, holiday
N3
休憩
kyuukei
break, rest, intermission
N4
昼休み
hiruyasumi
lunch break, noon recess
N4
息子
musuko
son, my son
N5
休みます
yasumimasu
rest
N5
休み
yasumi
rest, day off, holiday
N5
休みの日
yasumi no hi
day off, free day
N5
夏休み
natsuyasumi
summer vacation
N5
休む
yasumu
rest, take a break, be absent
Kanji