What does it mean word for word?
ゆっくり means slowly or leisurely, 休んで is the te-form of the verb meaning "to rest" and ね is a sentence-ending particle used for seeking agreement or softening the tone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form ゆっくり休んでね is informal and is best used with friends, family or peers. For a more polite version, use ゆっくり休んでください, which should be used when speaking to superiors or people you are not close with. If you wish to be highly formal and respectful when expressing concern for someone's well-being, you can use お休みになってください (Please take a rest). Another formal way to show concern for someone's health is お体を大事にしてください (Please take care of yourself).
How do you pronounce it?
yukkuri yasunde ne
When do people say it?
When bidding someone goodnight and wishing them a good rest, it is common to use おやすみなさい.
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, wishing someone to ゆっくり (rest slowly) is often seen as a way of giving them permission to ignore social obligations and pressure.
- In Japan, telling someone to 'rest well' might be interpreted as a subtle hint that they look exhausted or unwell.
- Depending on the tone, ゆっくり can also be used sarcastically to tell someone they are taking far too long to complete a task.
Examples in context
- お忙しいですから、お体を休めてください。You are busy, so please take care of yourself and rest.
- 今日は疲れたみたいだから、明日はゆっくり休んでね。You seem tired today, so make sure to rest well tomorrow.
- 今日はゆっくり休んでね。Kyou wa yukkuri yasunde ne.Rest well today.
- 風邪かな？ゆっくり休んでね。Kaze kana? Yukkuri yasunde ne.Do you have a cold? Rest well.
- 疲れただろうから、ゆっくり休んでね。Tsukareta darou kara, yukkuri yasunde ne.You must be tired, so rest well.
Example conversation
Hiyori is seeing Kenta off after a long day of work.
- 陽葵 Himari健太、今日もお疲れ様。Kenta, kyō mo otsukaresama.Kenta, good job today.
- 健太 Kentaありがとう。本当に疲れたよ。Arigatō. Hontō ni tsukareta yo.Thanks. I'm really tired.
- 陽葵 Himariお風呂に入って、ゆっくり休んでね。Ofuro ni haitte, yukkuri yasunde ne.Take a bath and rest well.
- 健太 Kentaそうするよ。おやすみ。Sō suru yo. Oyasumi.I will. Good night.
