休日
kyūjitsu[kʲɨːʑit͡sɨ]
In Japanese, the word for holiday is 休日 (kyūjitsu). Wiktionary also lists 休暇 (kyūka).
Meaning: period of one or more days taken off work for leisure and often travel (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 休日 | kyūjitsu | [kʲɨːʑit͡sɨ] (narrow) |
| 休暇 | kyūka | [kʲɨːka̠] (narrow) |
休日 refers to a day that is not a working day, such as a weekend or a public holiday, while 休暇 refers to a vacation or a period of leave taken from work or school.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 休日 is composed of 休 (rest) and 日 (day), literally meaning "rest day". The word 休暇 is composed of 休 (rest) and 暇 (leisure/gap/time), meaning "rest period".
Which one should you use?
休日 (kyūjitsu) is used for a scheduled day off or a non-working day, such as a weekend or a public holiday. In contrast, 休暇 (kyūka) refers to a period of leave or a vacation, which often implies a longer duration of time away from work.
How do you pronounce it?
kyūjitsu
Did you know?
- The character 休 is visually composed of a person 人 leaning against a tree 木, symbolizing the act of resting.
- A 'bridge holiday' called 飛び石連休 (tobi-ishi renkyū) occurs when a person takes a single day off to connect two other 休日 into one long break.
- In Japan, the 'Golden Week' is a unique cluster of public 休日 that occurs every year between late April and early May.
Examples in context
- 明日は休日です。It is a holiday tomorrow.This sentence is useful for stating that tomorrow is a holiday using 休日.Tatoeba #1274027 by hyonsoku, translation #323242 by CC
- 休日は楽しかった？Did you enjoy your holiday?This sentence is useful for asking if someone enjoyed their holiday using 休日.Tatoeba #182626 by tommy_san, translation #19760 by CK
- 休暇中なんですか？Are you on holiday?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is currently on holiday using 休暇.Tatoeba #8742634 by bunbuku, translation #434250 by lukaszpp
- 今日は休日です。Today is a holiday.
- 来週、長い休暇を取ります。I will take a long vacation next week.
- 明日、友達とお休みを楽しむ予定です。I plan to enjoy a day off with friends tomorrow.
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are chatting about their weekend plans at the office.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮さんは、次の休日は何をしますか？Ren-san wa, tsugi no kyūjitsu wa nani o shimasu ka?Ren, what are you doing on your next holiday?
- 蓮 Ren友達と旅行に行く予定です。Tomodachi to ryokō ni iku yotei desu.I am planning to go on a trip with my friends.
- 美咲 Misakiいいですね！楽しんでくださいね。Ii desu ne! Tanoshinde kudasai ne.That sounds nice! Please have a good time.
- 蓮 Renありがとうございます。美咲さんもゆっくり休んでください。Arigatō gozaimasu. Misaki-san mo yukkuri yasunde kudasai.Thank you. You should also have a relaxing rest, Misaki.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “holiday” translations and entries 休日, 休暇, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
