休み|やすみyasumi[0]heiban (flat)

JLPT N5approx.Common
Definitions
  1. nounrest; recess; respite
    10時じ40分ふんから11時じまで休やすみ時間じかんです。↗
    We have a break from 10:40 to 11:00.
  2. nounvacation; holiday; absence; suspension
    今度こんどの休やすみはどこへ行いくの?↗
    Where are you going on your vacation?
  3. noundormancy (of a silkworm prior to moulting)
Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym一休みひとやすみCasualA casual word for a short breather taken partway through work, as in 「ここで一休み」; the pause is brief, and it never refers to a holiday.
  • SynonymブレイクCasualA casual loanword for a brief pause in activity, as in 「コーヒーブレイク」; it also means a rise to fame or, in tennis, a service break.
  • Synonym休憩きゅうけいNeutralA rest period in the middle of work or study, as in 「休憩室」; unlike 「休み」 it is not used for holidays or days off.
  • Synonym休息きゅうそくWrittenStopping activity to let the body recover; it centres on the rest itself and leans toward written or formal prose.
  • Synonym一息ひといきCasualA colloquial word for a quick pause to catch one's breath; it also means finishing something in one go, as in 「一息に」.
  • Synonym息抜きいきぬきCasualA casual word for stepping away to relieve tension, as in 「息抜きに散歩する」; the emphasis is on unwinding rather than the break itself.
  • SynonymレストWrittenA loanword rarely used on its own; it appears mostly in compounds such as 「レストルーム」 and 「レストハウス」.
  • Synonym休止きゅうしWrittenA temporary halt of activity or operation, as in 「運転休止」; used mainly for machines and services, not for people resting.
  • Synonym休暇きゅうかWrittenLeave formally granted by a company or school, as in 「有給休暇」; more formal than 「休み」.
  • Synonym休日きゅうじつNeutralThe day on which one is off, as in 「休日出勤」; it points to the calendar day rather than the rest taken.
  • Synonym休養きゅうようWrittenRecuperating by taking time off to restore energy, as in 「休養が必要」 or 「十分な休養を取る」; it carries a nuance of rebuilding strength.
  • SynonymおやすみCasualThe polite form of 「休み」; it also serves as the bedtime greeting 「おやすみなさい」.
  • Synonym中休みなかやすみNeutralA break taken midway through work or an activity; it can also name a spell of rest inside a longer stretch, as distinct from a workday that falls between holidays.
  • Synonym小憩しょうけいWrittenA written word for a brief rest; rare in everyday speech, where 「一休み」 or 「休憩」 would be said instead.
  • Synonym骨休めほねやすめCasualA colloquial word for resting a tired body, as in 「温泉で骨休め」; it carries the nuance of treating yourself after hard work.
  • Related憩いいこいWrittenA leisurely rest, often describing places, as in 「市民の憩いの場」; it has a soft, literary tone.
  • RelatedホリデーNeutralA loanword for a holiday; mostly seen in compounds such as 「ホリデーシーズン」 rather than on its own.
  • Related暇ひまCasualColloquial for free time with nothing to do, as in 「暇がある」; 「休み」 is time off from work or study, or a holiday itself.
  • Related幕間まくあいFormalThe interval between acts of a play; a formal term used only for stage performances.
  • RelatedリラクゼーションWrittenA loanword for physical and mental relaxation; common in advertising for spas, massage and beauty treatments.
  • RelatedくつろぎWrittenBeing at ease and unhurried, as in 「寛ぎの時間」; it stresses a feeling of comfort rather than a break from work.
  • RelatedバケーションWrittenA loanword for a long vacation spent holidaying, as in 「サマーバケーション」; it has a leisurely, resort-like flavour.
  • Related中入りなかいりFormalThe intermission in sumo or theatre; a formal specialist term, not everyday speech.
  • Antonym働きはたらきNeutralThe opposite of 「休み」: work or labour, and by extension its results and performance.
  • Antonym勤めつとめFormalThe opposite of 「休み」: working at a company or office; it also means one's duties or responsibilities.

For rest or a holiday, 「休み」 is the default. For a break in the middle of work or study, use 「休憩」 or the colloquial 「一休み」; for the day itself, 「休日」; for approved leave, 「休暇」; for a long resort-style holiday, 「バケーション」; for free time with nothing to do, 「暇」. 「息抜き」 and 「骨休め」 stress unwinding, 「休養」 recuperation, 「休止」 a halt to machines or activities, 「中入り」 and 「幕間」 stage intermissions, and 「お休み」 is the polite form and a bedtime greeting.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. 休やすむこと。
  2. 仕事しごとや勉強べんきょうなどをやらない時間じかん、日ひ、期間きかん。
  3. 欠勤けっきんや欠席けっせきをすること。
  4. 寝ねること。
  5. 斎宮さいぐうの忌み言葉いみことばで病気びょうき。
  6. 蚕かいこが、脱皮だっぴの準備じゅんび期間きかんに桑くわの葉はを食たべずに、活動かつどうを停止ていししている状態じょうたい。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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