Meaning and Usage
The verb 休む (やすむ) primarily means "to rest" or "to take a break." It is commonly used when someone wants to stop working or doing an activity to regain energy. Another frequent use is to indicate being absent from school or work, like "to take a day off."
Common Contexts
休む is versatile and appears in daily conversation about health, work, and school. For example, you might say "今日は休みます" to mean "I will rest today" or "I will take a day off today."
Collocations and Patterns
- 学校を休む: to be absent from school
- 仕事を休む: to take a day off work
- 少し休む: to rest a little
- 早く休む: to rest early or go to bed early
Register and Politeness
休む is a neutral verb used in both casual and polite speech. When speaking politely, it often appears as 休みます.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 休む with 寝る (ねる, to sleep). While 休む means to rest or take a break, 寝る specifically means to sleep. Use 休む when you want to express resting without necessarily sleeping.