breath, rest

About this kanji

The kanji 「息」 primarily means "breath" and is also associated with the idea of "rest." It can be used as a noun, as in 息子 (むすこ), which means "son," or in verbs like いきる, meaning "to breathe" or "to live." You might also encounter compounds like 休息 (きゅうそく), which means "rest," or 息切れ (いきぎれ), translating to "breathlessness." Another interesting word is 息吹 (いぶき), meaning "breath" in a more poetic sense. A quick note: while 息 can be used in a wide range of contexts, it's especially common when talking about physical states or feelings.

Example sentences

• 深呼吸して息を整えた。

  I took a deep breath to calm myself.

Meanings across languages

English

breath, rest

Tiếng Việt

hơi thở, nghỉ ngơi

日本語

息, 呼吸, 休息

한국어

호흡, 휴식

中文

呼吸, 休息

id

napas, istirahat

th

ลมหายใจ, การพักผ่อน

es

aliento, descanso

fr

souffle, repos

de

Atem, Ruhe

pt

respiração, descanso

Common compounds

• 息子むすこson
• 休息きゅうそくrest, break
• 息切れいきぎれbreathlessness
• 息吹いぶきbreath, vigor