一休み

ひとやすみ

a rest

JLPT N2

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"一休み" (ひとやすみ) means "a short rest" or "a brief break." It is commonly used in everyday conversation to indicate taking a moment to relax or pause an activity.

Common Contexts

You will often hear "一休み" when someone wants to pause during physical activities like walking or working, or during meetings and study sessions. It implies a short, refreshing break rather than a long rest.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 一休みする: to take a short rest
  • 一休みを入れる: to insert a short break
  • 一休みしよう: let's take a short break

These phrases are casual and polite enough for most social and work settings.

Tips for Learners

"一休み" is often confused with longer rest words like "休憩" (きゅうけい), which can imply a longer or more formal break. Use "一休み" when you want to express a quick pause. It is a friendly and natural way to suggest resting briefly.

Example Sentences

ながいかいぎのあとで、ひとやすみしましょう。

Let's take a short break after the long meeting.

さんぽのとちゅうでひとやすみして、みずをのんだ。

I took a short rest during the walk and drank some water.

しごとがいそがしいけど、ひとやすみもたいせつだよ。

Work is busy, but taking a short break is important too.