When you hear people talk about "午休" (wǔxiū), they are talking about a lunch break or noon rest. Think of it like a pause in the middle of the day, usually after lunch, where you can relax, take a nap, or just take a moment to yourself. It's a very common practice in many places, especially in schools and workplaces in China. So, if someone says they are going for a "午休," they are taking some time to recharge during the day.
When you're working or studying, you usually get a break in the middle of the day. In Chinese, we call this "午休" (wǔxiū). It's a compound word: "午" (wǔ) means noon or midday, and "休" (xiū) means to rest or take a break. So, put together, it literally means "noon rest."
You use "午休" to refer to that specific break time around lunch. For example, if you say "我们有一个小时的午休" (wǒmen yǒu yīgè xiǎoshí de wǔxiū), it means "We have an hour for our lunch break." It's a common and practical term you'll hear a lot in daily Chinese life.
How Formal Is It?
"公司规定员工应有午间休息以保持工作效率。(The company stipulates that employees should have a noon break to maintain work efficiency.)"
"我每天中午都会午休半小时。(I take a half-hour lunch break every day at noon.)"
"吃完饭，咱们歇会儿再继续干活吧。(After eating, let's rest for a bit before continuing to work.)"
"小宝宝吃饱了要睡午觉。(The little baby needs to take a nap after eating.)"
"累了，咱们找个地方猫个午儿。(I'm tired, let's find a place to catch a quick nap.)"
Examples by Level
我每天中午都会有一个小时的午休时间。
I have an hour-long lunch break every day at noon.
午休对下午的工作效率很重要。
A noon rest is very important for work efficiency in the afternoon.
很多公司都提供午休的设施。
Many companies provide facilities for lunch breaks.
我喜欢在午休时小睡一会儿。
I like to take a short nap during my lunch break.
你通常怎么度过你的午休时间？
How do you usually spend your lunch break?
学校规定学生必须在教室里午休。
The school stipulates that students must take their noon rest in the classroom.
长途旅行时，司机需要适当的午休。
During long journeys, drivers need appropriate noon rests.
忙碌的工作让我几乎没有午休时间。
Busy work leaves me with almost no lunch break time.
How to Use It
The term 午休 (wǔxiū) specifically refers to a break taken around lunchtime, often for napping or resting. It's a common practice in China, especially for students and office workers. While it can involve eating lunch, its primary connotation is rest during the midday.
A common mistake is to use 午休 (wǔxiū) for any lunch break, regardless of whether rest is involved. If you're just eating lunch with no intention of resting, a more general term like 午饭时间 (wǔfàn shíjiān) 'lunchtime' or 吃午饭 (chī wǔfàn) 'eat lunch' would be more appropriate. For example: Incorrect: 我们去午休吧！(Wǒmen qù wǔxiū ba!) - *Said when you just want to grab a quick bite.* Correct: 我们去吃午饭吧！(Wǒmen qù chī wǔfàn ba!) - 'Let's go eat lunch!' Correct use: 很多中国学生中午会午休。(Hěnduō Zhōngguó xuéshēng zhōngwǔ huì wǔxiū.) - 'Many Chinese students will take a noon rest at midday.' Correct use: 我下午有点困，因为我没有午休。(Wǒ xiàwǔ yǒudiǎn kùn, yīnwèi wǒ méiyǒu wǔxiū.) - 'I'm a bit sleepy in the afternoon because I didn't have a noon rest.'
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsA good way to remember 午休 (wǔxiū) is to break it down. 午 (wǔ) means 'noon' or 'midday,' and 休 (xiū) means 'to rest' or 'to take a break.' So, literally, it's 'noon rest' or 'midday break.' Think of it as your daily pause in the middle of the day.
While it literally means 'noon rest,' 午休 (wǔxiū) can involve more than just sleeping. Many people use it to eat lunch, take a short nap, or just relax. It's your personal break during the workday or school day.
The length of a typical 午休 (wǔxiū) can vary, but often it's around 30 minutes to an hour. In some workplaces or schools, it might even be longer, especially in more traditional settings where a midday nap is common.
Yes, you can use 午休 (wǔxiū) to refer to your lunch break at work, even if you're in an English-speaking country. It's a general term for a midday break. For example, you might say:
今天午休我吃了三明治。 (Jīntiān wǔxiū wǒ chīle sānmíngzhì.)
(Today during my lunch break I ate a sandwich.)
午休 (wǔxiū) itself is often used as a verb phrase, meaning 'to take a lunch break.' You don't usually need a separate verb form. For example:
我们去午休吧！ (Wǒmen qù wǔxiū ba!)
(Let's go take a lunch break!)
午休 (wǔxiū) specifically refers to a noon rest or lunch break. 休息 (xiūxi) is a more general term for 'to rest' or 'a rest,' which can apply to any time of day or any type of break.
Strictly speaking, 午休 (wǔxiū) implies a break around noon or midday. If it's an afternoon break much later, you would typically use 休息 (xiūxi) (rest) or perhaps 下午茶 (xiàwǔchá) (afternoon tea/break) if it involves snacks or drinks.
You can ask:
你在午休吗？ (Nǐ zài wǔxiū ma?)
(Are you on your lunch break? / Are you taking a noon rest?)
Generally, it's considered impolite to interrupt someone during their 午休 (wǔxiū) unless it's urgent. It's a time for them to relax and recharge.
Yes, you absolutely can use 午休 (wǔxiū) to refer to your break at school, especially if it's the main midday break when students typically eat lunch. For example:
学校的午休时间很短。 (Xuéxiào de wǔxiū shíjiān hěn duǎn.)
(The school's lunch break time is very short.)
Test Yourself 24 questions
我们公司有半个小时的___。
The sentence means 'Our company has a half-hour lunch break.' '午休' means lunch break.
吃完饭，我喜欢小憩一会儿，这是我的___习惯。
The sentence means 'After eating, I like to take a short nap, this is my lunch break habit.' '午休' fits the context of a break after eating.
学校中午有一个小时的___，学生可以吃饭和休息。
The sentence means 'The school has an hour-long lunch break at noon, students can eat and rest.' '午休' is the correct term for a break at noon.
你通常在___的时候做什么？
The sentence means 'What do you usually do during your lunch break?' '午休' refers to the noon break.
我很困，需要一个好的___。
The sentence means 'I'm very sleepy, I need a good lunch break.' '午休' implies a period of rest.
经理说，我们可以在___时间出去散步。
The sentence means 'The manager said we can go for a walk during lunch break.' '午休' is the appropriate time for a break.
Describe what you usually do during your lunch break at work or school. Include what you eat and if you rest.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
我的午休时间通常是中午12点到1点。我一般会去食堂吃饭，然后回来在办公桌上休息一会儿。有时候我会和同事聊天，或者看看手机。
Imagine you are explaining the concept of '午休' to a friend who is not familiar with Chinese culture. What would you say are the benefits of having a '午休'?
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
在中文文化中，午休是非常普遍的。它指的是中午的休息时间。我认为午休有很多好处，比如可以帮助我们恢复精力，下午工作或学习的时候会更有效率。即使只是短暂的休息，也能让人感觉好很多。
Write a short paragraph about how '午休' is different in China compared to your own country, if there are any differences. If not, describe a typical Chinese '午休'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
在我的国家，人们通常没有固定的午休习惯，大家可能只是随便吃个午饭。但是在中国，午休是很重要的，很多人会小睡一会儿。我觉得这个习惯很好，可以让人下午保持清醒。
根据这段文字，人们在中国的午休时间通常会做什么？
Read this passage:
在中国，很多公司和学校都有固定的午休时间。员工和学生通常会利用这段时间吃饭和休息。一些人会选择在办公桌上小睡，而另一些人则会出去散步或进行其他活动。合理的午休可以帮助人们更好地应对下午的工作或学习。
根据这段文字，人们在中国的午休时间通常会做什么？
文中明确提到“员工和学生通常会利用这段时间吃饭和休息”。
文中明确提到“员工和学生通常会利用这段时间吃饭和休息”。
小王是如何利用他的午休时间的？
Read this passage:
小王每天中午都会有一小时的午休时间。他喜欢在食堂吃完午饭后，回到办公室听一会儿音乐，然后趴在桌子上睡20分钟。他说这样可以让他下午工作的时候更有精神。
小王是如何利用他的午休时间的？
文中提到小王“回到办公室听一会儿音乐，然后趴在桌子上睡20分钟”。
文中提到小王“回到办公室听一会儿音乐，然后趴在桌子上睡20分钟”。
这段文字主要想表达什么？
Read this passage:
一个好的午休对于保持身体健康和工作效率至关重要。研究表明，适当的午间小睡可以显著提高下午的注意力和记忆力。因此，越来越多的公司开始鼓励员工进行短暂的午休。
这段文字主要想表达什么？
文中提到“一个好的午休对于保持身体健康和工作效率至关重要”和“适当的午间小睡可以显著提高下午的注意力和记忆力”。
文中提到“一个好的午休对于保持身体健康和工作效率至关重要”和“适当的午间小睡可以显著提高下午的注意力和记忆力”。
The students are on their lunch break, so the classroom is very quiet.
I have an hour-long lunch break every day at noon.
The company policy states that employees can rest or eat during their lunch break.
Read this aloud:
你通常在午休时做什么？
Focus: 午休 (wǔ xiū)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
我认为午休对保持工作效率很重要。
Focus: 保持工作效率 (bǎo chí gōng zuò xiào lǜ)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
我们今天可以一起去吃午饭，在午休时。
Focus: 一起去吃午饭 (yī qǐ qù chī wǔ fàn)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence means 'We usually eat together during lunch break.' The structure follows Subject + Adverb of frequency + Prepositional phrase (at lunch break time) + Adverb (together) + Verb (eat).
This sentence translates to 'A short lunch break can help me regain energy.' The order is Adjective + Noun (short lunch break) + Modal verb (can) + Verb (help) + Object (me) + Verb phrase (regain energy).
This sentence means 'Many companies have a fixed lunch break time.' The structure is Quantifier + Noun (many companies) + Adverb (all/both) + Verb (have) + Adjective + Noun phrase (fixed lunch break time).
/ 24 correct
Perfect score!
Related Content
This Word in Other Languages
More work words
充裕的
B2Abundant, ample, or sufficient in quantity.
事故
A2accident; mishap
依照
A2According to; in accordance with.
准确地
A2accurately, precisely
做到
A2to achieve; to accomplish
积极地
A2actively; enthusiastically
应变
B2Adaptive; capable of dealing with emergencies.
行政
A2Administration; the management of affairs.
过后
A2Afterwards; at a later or subsequent time.
赞同
A2To approve of, to endorse; to agree with or support.
