休 — “rest” in Japanese

Grade 1きゅう, やす

Radical ⼈ · radical 9 The building block this kanji is filed under

“rest” in Japanese is 休, read kyuu, yasu (きゅう, やす). It is a Grade 1 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 1 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 休日 (holiday).

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What does 休 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	休
Meaning	rest
Readings	きゅう, やす
Grade	Grade 1 (Easiest)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	休日 (holiday)

How to read 休

休 is read kyuu (きゅう) or yasu (やす) depending on the word.

Words with 休

夏休なつやす
休日
休息
休憩
夏休み
春休み
冬休み

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Kanji read the same way as 休

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

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Updated: 2026-08-28