What is the Kanji for "Rest"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Rest", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Rest" is "休".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Yasu".

Its onyomi reading is "Kyuu".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "木" means "Tree" and "Wood" and can be read as "Boku", "Ki", "Moku", and "Ko". And The radical "亻" means "Person" .

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "休" mean in japanese?

"休" means "Rest".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in First Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N5 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

昼休み: "Lunch break". The Japanese noun '昼休み (ひるやすみ)' refers to the break or rest period that occurs during the middle of the day, typically when people stop their work or activities to eat lunch. It is a common practice in Japanese workplaces and schools to have a designated '昼休み' that allows employees or students to take a break, have a meal, and recharge. For example: I'll see you again after the lunch break - (昼休みが終わったら、また会いましょう). Let's go to the cafeteria during the lunch break - (昼休みにカフェテリアに行きましょう).

冬休み: "Winter break". The noun '冬休み (ふゆやすみ)' refers to the winter vacation period, typically the time off from school or work during the coldest months of the year. It is a time when people can rest, travel, or spend time with family and friends. For example: I have two weeks of winter break - (私は2週間の冬休みがあります). Students look forward to the winter break - (学生は冬休みを楽しみにしています).

休校: "School closure". The verbal noun '休校 (きゅうこう)' means 'school closure'. It refers to the temporary suspension or cancellation of school classes or activities, often due to factors such as inclement weather, public health concerns, or other extraordinary circumstances. For example: The school announced a 3-day休校(きゅうこう) due to heavy snowfall - (大雪のため、学校は3日間の休校(きゅうこう)を発表しました). The university implemented a temporary休校(きゅうこう) policy to prevent the spread of the virus - (大学は、ウイルスの蔓延を防ぐため、一時的な休校(きゅうこう)の方針を実施しました).

休憩: "Rest". The verbal noun '休憩(きゅうけい)' means 'rest'. It refers to a period of time taken to pause from an activity or task in order to relax or recover energy. This could be a coffee break, a lunch break, or any short respite during the workday. For example: Let's take a 15 minute rest - (15分間休憩しましょう). I need to take a short rest - (少し休憩が必要です).

休む: "Rest". The verb '休む (やすむ)' means 'to rest'. This verb is used to indicate that someone is taking a break from an activity, whether it is physical or mental. It can be used to describe resting after work, taking a vacation, or even just taking a break during the day. For example: I need to rest - (私は休む必要がある). She is resting at home - (彼女は家で休んでいる).

週休: "Weekend". The Japanese noun '週休 (しゅうきゅう)' means 'weekend'. It refers to the two-day period from Saturday to Sunday when most people do not work. '週休' is a compound word formed from '週' (week) and '休' (rest, day off). For example: I have the weekend off - (私は週休がある). It's the weekend, let's go out - (週休だから、外に行こう。)

休学: "Leave of absence". The verbal noun '休学 (きゅうがく)' means 'leave of absence'. It refers to a temporary suspension of one's studies, usually from a school or university, for a specified period of time. This may be due to various reasons such as health issues, family emergencies, or personal circumstances. For example: He took a leave of absence from university - (彼は大学から休学した). I need to apply for a leave of absence - (私は休学を申請する必要がある).

休業: "Close" or "Shutdown". The Japanese verbal noun '休業 (きゅうぎょう)' means 'close' or 'shutdown'. This word is used to refer to the temporary suspension or closure of a business, company, or organization. It is often used when a company needs to temporarily halt operations, such as during a holiday, for renovations, or due to economic conditions. For example: The factory is closed for an annual holiday - (工場は年末年始の休業をする). The shop will be closed for renovations next week - (店は来週休業して改装する).

休み: "Break". The Japanese noun '休み (やすみ)' means 'break'. This word is used to refer to a period of time when one is free from work, school, or other obligations. It can be used to describe a vacation, holiday, or any other time off. For example: I'm on break - (私は休みです). Enjoy your break - (休みを楽しんでください).

休養: "Rest". The verbal noun '休養 (きゅうよう)' means 'rest'. This term refers to taking a break or period of recovery from work, activity or exertion. It may involve taking time off, relaxing, or engaging in leisurely activities to recharge. For example: I need to take a rest - (私は休養しなければならない). They gave the team a rest day - (チームに休養の日を与えた).

休講: "Class cancellation". The Japanese verbal noun '休講 (きゅうこう)' means 'class cancellation'. It refers to a situation where a scheduled class or lecture is cancelled, typically due to the instructor's absence or other unexpected circumstances. This term is commonly used in academic settings, such as universities or schools, to notify students about changes in the class schedule. For example: The English class is cancelled today - (今日の英語の授業は休講です). The professor cancelled the lecture due to illness - (教授が体調不良のため講義を休講にしました).

休める: "Rest". The verb '休める (やすめる)' means 'to rest'. This verb indicates allowing someone or something to take a break or pause from an activity. It can be used to describe resting a person, animal, or object. For example: You should rest now - (あなたは今休めるべきです). I will let the dog rest - (犬を休ませます).

一休み: "Break". The verbal noun '一休み (ひとやすみ)' means 'break'. This phrase is used to describe a short period of rest or relaxation, usually from work or a task. It implies taking a short pause to recharge before continuing. For example: I'll take a short break - (一休みしましょう). Let's take a break - (一休みしよう).

休日: "Holiday". The Japanese noun '休日 (きゅうじつ)' means 'holiday'. This word refers to a day when normal business or school activities are suspended, typically a weekend day or a day declared by the government as a national holiday. For example: It's a national holiday today - (今日は国民の休日です). I'm looking forward to the upcoming holiday weekend - (次の休日の週末を楽しみにしています).

休暇: "Break". The noun '休暇 (きゅうか)' means 'break'. It refers to a period of time off from work or other obligations, such as a vacation or holiday. It can also be used to describe a rest period or intermission. For example: I will take a break next week - (来週、休暇を取ります). She is on vacation this month - (彼女は今月休暇中です).

定休日: "Day off". The Japanese noun '定休日 (ていきゅうび)' means 'day off'. This noun refers to the regular, scheduled day(s) when a business, shop, or organization is closed for the day and employees have time off work. It is a common term used to indicate the regular non-working days of a company or establishment. For example: Our shop is closed on Sundays, which is our regular day off - (うちの店は日曜日が定休日です).

夏休み: "Summer vacation". The Japanese noun '夏休み (なつやすみ)' refers to the summer vacation period, typically in the months of July and August when schools and universities are closed. It is a time for relaxation, travel, and spending time with family and friends. For example: I will go on a trip during the summer vacation - (夏休みに旅行に行きます). Summer vacation is a great time to rest - (夏休みは良い休息の時期です).

連休: "Vacation". The Japanese noun '連休 (れんきゅう)' means 'vacation'. This word refers to a continuous series of public holidays or days off work. It is commonly used to describe long weekends, multi-day national holidays, or extended breaks from work or school. For example: I'm going on vacation during the Golden Week holidays - (私は連休にゴールデンウィークに休暇に行きます).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "や" is read as "ya". The hiragana "す" is read as "su". The hiragana "き" is read as "ki". And The hiragana "う" is read as "u".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.