休 is a Chinese character with HSK 1 on the new exam.
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
The oracle-bone form is a person (人) standing beside a tree (木), depicting someone resting in the shade of a tree. It is a classic compound ideograph where the meaning emerges from the juxtaposition of two pictographs rather than from sound. The image of leaning against a trunk for shade is still transparent in the modern shape.
Form evolution
Bronze and seal forms keep the 人 and 木 components side by side, sometimes with the person clearly touching the tree. Clerical script flattened the person into the standing 亻 radical on the left and regularised 木 on the right. The楷书 form has been unchanged since, and no simplification was applied.
How the meaning evolved
From the concrete sense 'to rest under a tree' the meaning generalised to 'rest' and 'cease' in general, hence 休息 (to rest) and 休假 (take leave). A further extension gave the imperative 'stop!' or 'do not', surviving in literary 休想 (don't even think about it) and 休怪 (don't blame). In legal and bureaucratic language 休 also means to divorce a wife (休妻), a sense rooted in the idea of dismissing or releasing.
Cultural note
The character appears in the Confucian term 休戚相关 (bound together in joy and sorrow), where 休 carries its rarer positive sense of 'blessing' or 'good fortune', distinct from the resting sense most learners know. Calligraphers often cite 休 as a model compound for teaching balance between the 亻 and 木 components.
Basic info
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #596 most common |
Example sentences
我想休息一下。
Wǒ xiǎng xiūxi yīxià.
I want to rest a bit.
From 休息 (HSK 1)
我父亲明年退休。
Wǒ fùqin míngnian tuìxiū.
My father will retire next year.
From 退休 (HSK 5)
周末我喜欢去公园散步享受休闲放松的时光。
Zhōumò wǒ xǐhuan qù gōngyuán sànbù xiǎngshòu xiūxián fàngsōng de shíguāng.
On weekends I like to walk in the park enjoying leisurely and relaxing time.
From 休闲 (HSK 5)
Words containing 休
On the new HSK 1 exam
Studying for HSK 1? Keep 休 with the rest of your level.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.