🦅 Project Eagle
Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "やすむ", "休む", "休み", "休憩"

All represent the core concept "rest", but require precise selection.

Japanese Option A

やすむ

やすむ (yasumu)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B

休む

やすむ (yasumu)
N4 / CEFR
Japanese Option C

休み

やすみ (yasumi)
N4 / CEFR
Japanese Option D

休憩

きゅうけい (kyūkei)
N4 / CEFR

Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "rest" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "やすむ", "休む", "休み", "休憩" based on context.
  • やすむ (やすむ (yasumu) - Level: N5): Maps to "to rest, to be absent from work/school" and is used when Can mean 'to take a break/rest' or 'to be absent from work/school'..
  • 休む (やすむ (yasumu) - Level: N4): Maps to "to rest, to be absent" and is used when Can mean to take a break.
  • 休み (やすみ (yasumi) - Level: N4): Maps to "rest, holiday, absence" and is used when A noun that can refer to a break, a day off from work or school, or a vacation/holiday period. It is the noun form of the verb 休む.
  • 休憩 (きゅうけい (kyūkei) - Level: N4): Maps to "rest, break" and is used when Often used with する as a verb.
Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!
Context for "やすむ"
今日は会社を休みます。
I will be absent from work today.
Context for "休む"
今日は疲れたので、早く休みたいです。
I'm tired today, so I want to rest early.
Context for "休み"
今日は会社が休みです。
Today is a holiday from work.
Context for "休憩"
仕事の合間に少し休憩しましょう。
Let's take a short break between work.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "今日は会社を休みます。" (Meaning: "I will be absent from work today.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "やすむ" is correct here because it represents "to rest, to be absent from work/school" in the context: "I will be absent from work today.".

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