breath · rest

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 息 has 10 strokes, the on-reading そく, and the kun-reading いき. 息 (いき) means breath, and 休息 (きゅうそく) means rest.
• Basic usage: 息 refers to breathing or exhaled breath; 休息 refers to pausing an activity to rest.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Breath and rest
  • 息が切れた means became out of breath. 吐いた息が白く見えた describes exhaled breath looking white on a cold morning.
  • 木陰で休息を取った means took a rest in the shade of a tree. 適度な休息 refers to an appropriate amount of rest.