To breathe, drawing air through the nose. To rest, take a break, or stop; also interest earned or news. Nose (自) above heart (心): calm breathing settles the heart.
The top component 自 originally depicted a nose and later came to mean 'self' (people point to their nose when referring to themselves). The bottom component 心 is the heart. Together they evoke the quiet rhythm of breathing through the nose while the heart beats, which is what happens when you rest. This is a genuine traditional analysis, not a folk etymology.
息 is a bound morpheme and cannot stand alone as a verb in modern Mandarin. Use the full word 休息.
The verb 'to rest' is always 休息, not 息 alone. 息 only appears in compounds like 休息 or 消息.
休 is a standalone verb meaning 'to rest'; 息 is a bound morpheme meaning 'breath/rest' that only appears in compounds.
Both characters relate to rest, but they behave differently. 休 is a complete verb meaning 'to rest' or 'to stop', and it can be used by itself. 息 is a bound morpheme that only appears in compounds like 休息 (rest) or 消息 (news). You cannot say 我息一下; you must say 我休息一下.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone verb | 我休息一下 (I rest a bit) | 我息一下 |
| Compound word | 休息 (rest) | 休 alone for 'rest' is fine, but 息 alone is not |
| Meaning | 休 = to rest; 息 = breath/rest (bound) | Mixing them up |
息 has 心 (heart) at the bottom, but 息 also includes 自 (nose) on top, so it means 'breath' or 'rest', while 心 alone means 'heart'.
心 is a simple pictograph of a heart. 息 is a compound: 自 (nose) over 心 (heart). The nose and heart together represent the breath of life. So 息 is used in words about breathing or resting, like 休息, while 心 is used for emotions and the mind, like 开心 (happy).
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | 息 = breath/rest; 心 = heart/mind | Confusing 息 with 心 in writing |
| Usage | 休息 (rest), 消息 (news) | 心休息 (nonsense) |
| Shape | 息 has 自 on top; 心 is just the heart shape | Writing 心 when you mean 息 |
This playful poem turns numbers into a rhythm of daily life. As you read, practice counting, days of the week, and common time words in a fun, memorable way.
工作两三年， 休息 四五天，读书一小时，吃饭五分钟。
Follow a traveler's unexpected hospital stay in China, where counting days and costs becomes practical learning. Practice numbers, dates, food prices, and simple descriptions of a doctor and room.
休息 两星期，七天住医院医生人很好，房间大漂亮。
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