憩 — “Recess / Rest / Relax / Repose” in Japanese

Master (高手)けい, いこ

Radical ⼼ · radical 61 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Recess / Rest / Relax / Repose” in Japanese is 憩, read kei, iko (けい, いこ). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 休憩 (rest, break).

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What does 憩 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	憩
Meaning	Recess / Rest / Relax / Repose
Readings	けい, いこ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	休憩 (rest, break)

How to read 憩

憩 is read kei (けい) or iko (いこ) depending on the word.

Words with 憩

休憩

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Kanji read the same way as 憩

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

Updated: 2026-08-28