Word
余暇
Meaning in Englishleisure, leisure time, spare time
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
What does 余暇 mean? It refers to the period of time available after obligatory duties, set aside for rest, hobbies, or personal pursuits, i.e., voluntary downtime rather than work time.
Main meanings
- primary sense: leisure time, the portion of a day or life set aside for personal activities outside obligations.
- nuance: typically neutral or formal in tone, often appearing in discussions of work-life balance, planning, or social policy.
- scope: can refer to both short breaks and longer stretches of free time, including recreational activities.
How to use it
Used in formal, educational, and media contexts to discuss how people allocate time away from work or study; in casual speech, it is less common, with 暇 (hima) or 自由時間 (jiyū jikan) more frequently used. 余暇を活用して趣味を始める (yoka o katsuyō shite shumi o hajimeru). 余暇の使い方を考える (yoka no tsukaikata o kangaeru).
Variants and close terms
- 暇 (ひま, hima) — spare time; informal usage
- 自由時間 (じゆうじかん, jiyū jikan) — free time; neutral to formal
- レジャー (rejaa) — leisure activities/time; emphasizes recreation
Composition
- 余: surplus, remainder; extra
- 暇: free time, leisure; gap in the schedule
- Together: 余暇 literally means time that remains, used to denote leisure time
Word class
noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
余興
yokyou
side show, entertainment
N1
余所見
yosomi
looking away, looking aside
N1
余地
yochi
place, room, margin
N1
余程
yohodo
very, much, to a large extent, quite
N2
余る
amaru
to be left over, to be in excess
N2
余計
yokei
too much, unnecessary, abundance, surplus, excess, superfluity
N2
余所
yoso
another place, somewhere else, strange parts
N3
休暇
kyuuka
vacation, leave, holiday
N3
余分
yobun
extra, excess, surplus
Kanji