休 — Rest, Vacation, Break

Meaning

The kanji 休 means rest, break, or vacation. In daily Japanese, it covers everything from a short pause between tasks to an extended work leave or school holiday. The same character appears in casual texts, formal HR documents, and museum closing signs alike.

Structurally, 休 is a classic ideographic compound (会意文字, kaiji moji). It joins 人 (hito, "person") on the left with 木 (ki, "tree") on the right. The image is a person leaning against a tree to rest in its shade — immediately readable, no memorization trick needed.

Look closely at the strokes and the picture holds up: the left side echoes 人, a figure tilting into the solid trunk of 木 on the right. This is why 休 is one of the first kanji Japanese children encounter. It is taught in Grade 1 of elementary school, has 6 strokes, and belongs to the 人 (person) radical.

休 turns up across a surprising range of contexts — school calendars, office leave requests, music notation, and international diplomacy. Whether it is a ten-minute coffee break or a UN ceasefire, the idea is the same: activity stops, and recovery begins.

Readings

On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings

The on'yomi is キュウ (kyuu), heard almost exclusively in compound words (熟語, jukugo). These compounds tend toward formal or written registers — workplace leave requests, official holidays, and institutional closures.

休日きゅうじつ (kyuujitsu) — holiday, day off (an official rest day)
休憩きゅうけい (kyuukei) — a short break (e.g., ten minutes during a meeting or shift)
休暇きゅうか (kyuuka) — vacation, leave of absence (formal workplace term)
休息きゅうそく (kyuusoku) — rest, repose (literary; softer than 休憩)
休業きゅうぎょう (kyuugyou) — suspension of business, temporary closure
休学きゅうがく (kyuugaku) — temporary leave from school
休戦きゅうせん (kyuusen) — ceasefire, truce (literally "resting from war")
休止きゅうし (kyuushi) — pause, suspension (used in music, speech, or operations)

Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings

The kun'yomi forms are やす・む (yasumu), やす・まる (yasumaru), and やす・める (yasumeru). These are native verb forms used when 休 stands alone or anchors a native Japanese compound. やすむ is one of the most common verbs in everyday conversation.

休やすむ (yasumu) — to rest, to take a day off, to be absent (intransitive)
休やすまる (yasumaru) — to feel rested, to calm down (intransitive; describes an internal state)
休やすめる (yasumeru) — to give rest to something (transitive; e.g., resting your eyes or legs)
夏休なつやすみ (natsuyasumi) — summer vacation
冬休ふゆやすみ (fuyuyasumi) — winter vacation
春休はるやすみ (haruyasumi) — spring vacation
昼休ひるやすみ (hiruyasumi) — lunch break

Common Words & Compounds

休 appears across four broad areas: seasonal breaks, workplace leave, short rest periods, and institutional closures.

Seasonal & School Holidays

夏休なつやすみ (natsuyasumi) — summer vacation (typically late July through August for students)
冬休ふゆやすみ (fuyuyasumi) — winter vacation (around the New Year period)
春休はるやすみ (haruyasumi) — spring vacation (late March, between school years)

Work & Daily Rest

昼休ひるやすみ (hiruyasumi) — lunch break, midday rest
休日きゅうじつ (kyuujitsu) — holiday, day off from work
休憩きゅうけい (kyuukei) — short break during work or study
休暇きゅうか (kyuuka) — paid leave, annual leave
休養きゅうよう (kyuuyou) — recuperation, rest for health reasons

Institutional & Formal

休業きゅうぎょう (kyuugyou) — suspension of business or school operations
休学きゅうがく (kyuugaku) — leave of absence from school
休館きゅうかん (kyuukan) — closure of a museum, library, or hall
休診きゅうしん (kyuushin) — doctor or clinic not seeing patients; the sign posted when the doctor is out

Other Usages

休息きゅうそく (kyuusoku) — rest, repose (more literary)
休止きゅうし (kyuushi) — pause, temporary stop
休戦きゅうせん (kyuusen) — ceasefire, truce
定休日ていきゅうび (teikyuubi) — regular closing day (e.g., a shop's fixed weekly day off)

Example Sentences

きょうは学校がっこうを休やすみます。

Kyou wa gakkou wo yasumimasu.

I will be absent from school today.

少すこし休やすみましょう。

Sukoshi yasumimashoo.

Let's rest for a little while.

夏休なつやすみに沖縄おきなわへ行いきました。

Natsuyasumi ni Okinawa e ikimashita.

I went to Okinawa during summer vacation.

昼休ひるやすみは何時なんじからですか。

Hiruyasumi wa nanji kara desu ka.

What time does the lunch break start?

この美術館びじゅつかんは月曜日げつようびが休館きゅうかんです。

Kono bijutsukan wa getsuyoubi ga kyuukan desu.

This art museum is closed on Mondays.

目めを休やすめるために、パソコンから離はなれてください。

Me wo yasumeru tame ni, pasokon kara hanarete kudasai.

Please step away from the computer to rest your eyes.

彼女かのじょは病気びょうきで一週間いっしゅうかん会社かいしゃを休やすみました。

Kanojo wa byouki de isshuukan kaisha wo yasumimashita.

She was absent from work for a week due to illness.

休憩きゅうけいのあとで、また始はじめましょう。

Kyuukei no ato de, mata hajimemashou.

Let's start again after the break.

ゆっくり休やすんで、元気げんきになってください。

Yukkuri yasunde, genki ni natte kudasai.

Please rest well and get better soon.

心こころが休やすまる場所ばしょを見みつけたい。

Kokoro ga yasumaru basho wo mitsuketai.

I want to find a place where my heart can feel at ease.

Related Kanji

Memory Tip

Picture a tired traveler leaning against a tree mid-journey. The left side of 休 is 人 (a person) — two strokes like a figure pausing in motion. The right side is 木 (a tree) — trunk below, branches above. The character is almost a diagram: a person pressing into solid wood, eyes closed, catching their breath. Rest is not emptiness. It is a person finding support.