休日
kyūjitsu[kʲɨːʑit͡sɨ]
The English phrase 'day off' is translated into Japanese as 休日 (kyūjitsu). Wiktionary also lists 休み (yasumi).
Meaning: a day of vacation etc. (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 休日 | kyūjitsu | [kʲɨːʑit͡sɨ] (narrow) |
| 休み | yasumi | [ja̠sɨmʲi] (narrow) |
In Japanese, there are several ways to express the concept of a day off or time away from work. 休み is a versatile term that means 'rest' or 'break'. 休日 is a common term that translates to "day off" or "holiday". 休暇 is a formal word that refers to "vacation" or "time off".
Which one should you use?
The word 休み is the common, conversational way to say 'day off' or 'rest', whereas 休日 is more formal and often refers to a scheduled holiday or official day of rest.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 休みの日 can be used to specifically mean 'a day that is a holiday/day off' by adding the noun 日 (day) to the end.
How do you pronounce it?
kyūjitsu
Did you know?
- The character used in both 休み and 休日 is 休, which is a visual combination of a 'person' (人) leaning against a 'tree' (木).
- If you say you are 休み on a certain day, it can mean you are 'closed' if you are referring to a shop or business rather than a person.
- Japanese has a specific term 有給 (yūkyū) for 'paid time off' that is used far more frequently in conversation than the general word 休暇.
Examples in context
- 休みがある。I have the day off.This sentence is useful for stating that you have a day off using 休み.Tatoeba #8967772 by Ninja, translation #5858208 by CK
- 今日は休みです。Today's my day off.This sentence is useful for stating that today is your day off using 休み.Tatoeba #171649 by small_snow, translation #5820762 by CK
- 明日はお休みです。I have a day off tomorrow.Tatoeba #80475 by bunbuku, translation #12602292 by CK
- 明日は休みです。Tomorrow is a day off.
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are chatting in the office about their plans.
- 結衣 Yui大翔さんの次の休日はいつですか？Daigato-san no tsugi no kyūjitsu wa itsu desu ka?When is your next day off, Daigato?
- 大翔 Hiroto来週の日曜日が休日です。Raishū no nichiyōbi ga kyūjitsu desu.Next Sunday is my day off.
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね。どこかへ行きますか？Ii desu ne. Doko ka e ikimasu ka?That's nice. Are you going somewhere?
- 大翔 Hiroto家でゆっくりするつもりです。Ie de yukkuri suru tsumori desu.I plan to relax at home.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “day off” translations and entries 休日, 休み, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
