休む
やすむ · yasumu
To be absent, to take a day off
- to rest, to have a break
- to go to bed, to (lie down to) sleep, to turn in, to retire
- to stop doing some ongoing activity for a time, to suspend business
Other ways to say “to be absent” in Japanese →
falls after mora 2 · what is pitch accent?
How it’s used
Common everyday verb for taking time off, resting, or going to bed; broader than 休憩する, which means only a short break.
Example sentences
風邪で会社を休みました。
I was absent from work because of a cold.
Nihoner
疲れたから少し休みましょう。
Let's rest a little because we're tired.
Nihoner
少し休むもいいですね。
すこしやすむもいいですね。
It's fine to rest a bit, too.
Nihoner sentence bank
風邪を引いたと、会社を休むべきだ。
かぜをひいたと、かいしゃをやすむべきだ。
If you catch a cold, you should take time off work.
Nihoner sentence bank
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Conjugation
| Polite (ます形) | 休みますやすみます |
| Polite negative (ません) | 休みませんやすみません |
| Polite past (ました) | 休みましたやすみました |
| Polite past negative (ませんでした) | 休みませんでしたやすみませんでした |
| Let us ~ (ましょう) | 休みましょうやすみましょう |
| Masu-stem (連用形) | 休みやすみ |
| Want to ~ (たい形) | 休みたいやすみたい |
| While ~ing (ながら) | 休みながらやすみながら |
| Te-form (て形) | 休んでやすんで |
| Plain past (た形) | 休んだやすんだ |
| Tara-conditional (たら形) | 休んだらやすんだら |
| Progressive (ている形) | 休んでいるやすんでいる |
| Plain negative (ない形) | 休まないやすまない |
| Plain past negative (なかった形) | 休まなかったやすまなかった |
| Negative te-form (なくて) | 休まなくてやすまなくて |
| Potential (可能形) | 休めるやすめる |
| Ba-conditional (条件形) | 休めばやすめば |
| Imperative (命令形) | 休めやすめ |
| Volitional (意向形) | 休もうやすもう |
| Passive (受身形) | 休まれるやすまれる |
| Causative (使役形) | 休ませるやすませる |
| Causative-passive (使役受身形) | 休まされるやすまされる |
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Words that share a kanji
Questions
What does 休む mean?
To be absent, to take a day off. It can also mean: to rest, to have a break; to go to bed, to (lie down to) sleep, to turn in, to retire; to stop doing some ongoing activity for a time, to suspend business.
How do you pronounce 休む?
やすむ (yasumu). Pitch accent: nakadaka — falls after mora 2. Press Listen above to hear it.
What JLPT level is 休む?
JLPT N5 — beginner. See the JLPT N5 guide.
How do I remember 休む?
Say it out loud with an example sentence, test yourself above, then save it to your deck: Nihoner brings it back just before you would forget it (spaced repetition).
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