Translation guide
How to express taking a short rest or pause in Japanese, from casual breaks to formal intermissions.
The speaker wants to pause what they are doing to rest briefly, often during physical work or study.
A common, neutral way to say 'take a short break'. Literally 'do one rest'.
ちょっと一休みしよう。
Let's take a breather.
ここで一休みしませんか。
Shall we take a breather here?
A standard word for 'take a break/rest', slightly more formal than 一休みする. Used in work or study contexts.
少し休憩しましょう。
Let's take a short breather.
Literally 'take one smoke/tea', but often used for a short break even without smoking or drinking. Casual.
ここらで一服しようか。
Shall we take a breather around here?
Means 'take a breather' in the sense of relieving stress or refreshing one's mind. Often used for longer breaks from work or study.
たまには息抜きも必要だよ。
You need to take a breather sometimes.
The speaker wants to suggest a brief pause in a discussion or formal setting.
Polite way to suggest inserting a short break, common in meetings.
ここで少し休憩を入れましょう。
Let's take a breather here.
A softer, more casual suggestion to take a short break. Literally 'let's take one breath'.
ちょっと一息つきませんか。
Why don't we take a breather?
The speaker wants to step back from a stressful situation to relax mentally.
Literally 'take a breath', used figuratively for a short mental break. Very common.
ちょっと一息つこう。
Let's take a breather.
一息ついてから考えよう。
Let's take a breather and then think about it.
Idiom meaning 'relax one's shoulders', i.e., take it easy. Used when someone is tense.
肩の力を抜いて、少し休もう。
Take a breather and relax a bit.
一休み is casual and implies a short, informal break. 休憩 is more formal and often used for scheduled breaks at work or school. 一服 originally refers to a smoking or tea break but is used casually for any short pause.
The English phrase 'take a breather' is idiomatic. Direct translations like 呼吸を取る (take a breath) are unnatural. Use the expressions above instead.
あの仕事の後は、ちょっと一休みが必要だ。
I need to take a breather after all that work.
続ける前に一息つこう。
Let's take a breather before we continue.