How do you say "rest" in Japanese?

休む

yasumu

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "rest" is 休む (yasumu).

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Pronunciation

Ya-su-mu, three syllables, the 'su' almost devoiced, so it can sound closer to 'yasmu' when spoken fast.

Writing and usage

休む is written using kanji. It's a verb, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

長い散歩の後は休んだほうがいい。

nagai sanpo no nochi ha yasun dahougaii.

You should rest after the long walk.

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How to remember 休む

Yasumu sounds like 'yes, um' — you pause with a lazy 'yes, um' before finally resting.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 休む

How do you pronounce 休む?

Ya-su-mu, three syllables, the 'su' almost devoiced, so it can sound closer to 'yasmu' when spoken fast.

Is 休む formal or casual?

休む is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 休む written in Japanese?

休む is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as yasumu.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Rest" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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