Key Facts
- Hangul: 휴일; Revised Romanization: hyuil
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Sino-Korean
- Register: Neutral.
- Hanja: 休日 (休 rest + 日 day)
Holiday in Korean: What Does 휴일 Mean?
휴일 has two senses, holiday and day off. It is neutral. The compound 공휴일 narrows it to a public holiday.
How Is It Used?
Two nouns share this idea, and the compound makes the difference. 휴일 is any day off, including a weekend rest day, while 공휴일 adds the public element and is the word behind the closing shops in the third example. The phrase 휴일 근무 is the work-related use, meaning work done on a day off. Choose 휴가 when you mean leave or vacation time, such as leave booked ahead of a trip.
How Do You Pronounce It?
Two syllables, hyu-il, with no consonant between them, so the vowels meet directly.
Example Sentences with 휴일
내일은 휴일이에요.
naeireun hyuirieyo.
Tomorrow is a day off.
내일 means tomorrow, and the ending 이에요 gives a simple statement.
휴일에 집에서 쉬어요.
hyuire jibeseo swieoyo.
I rest at home on holidays.
쉬어요 means "rest", and 집에서 means "at home".
공휴일에는 가게가 문을 닫아요.
gonghyuireneun gagega muneul dadayo.
Shops close on public holidays.
문을 닫아요 literally means "close the door", the everyday way to say a shop is shut.
Collocations
공휴일 is the public holiday, and the work phrase 휴일 근무 refers to working on a day off.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 휴일에 쉬다 | rest on a day off |
| 공휴일 | public holiday |
| 휴일 근무 | holiday work |
The Mistake to Avoid
English "holiday" can mean one day off or a whole vacation, so learners use one Korean word for both.
Wrong: 휴일 for a week of annual leave
Correct: 휴가 for vacation or leave; 휴일 for a single day off or a public holiday
휴일 Compared with Similar Words
휴가 is vacation or leave from work; it can be short or long. 공휴일 is a public holiday.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 휴일 | holiday | This page's word |
| 휴가 | vacation/leave | vacation/leave |
| 공휴일 | public holiday | public holiday |
Where Does the Word Come From?
휴일 is Sino-Korean, written 休日 (休 rest + 日 day).
Planning a Visit: Will the Museum Be Open?
Two friends are choosing a day for a museum visit. A day off gives them free time, but they still need the opening information.
Mina
월요일은 휴일이에요?
Woryoireun hyuirieyo?
Is Monday a day off?
Alex
네. 같이 박물관에 갈까요?
Ne. Gachi bangmulgwane galkkayo?
Yes. Shall we go to the museum together?
Mina
월요일은 휴관일이에요.
Woryoireun hyugwanirieyo.
Monday is its closed day.
Alex
그럼 다른 날에 가요.
Geureom dareun nare gayo.
Then let’s go another day.
휴일 describes the friends' day off. 휴관일 describes the museum's closed day. The shared 휴 suggests rest or suspension, but the two words answer different questions: whether the people are free and whether the institution is open. 다른 날 means another day, so the final line changes the plan.
Reading Closure Notices: 휴일, 휴무, and 휴관
A shop notice may say 정기 휴일, meaning its regular closing day. 정기 means regular or scheduled. A weekly closing day is not necessarily a public holiday; it is part of that business's own routine.
휴무 means suspension of work or business. You will often see it on shop or workplace notices. 정기 휴무 indicates a regular closure. 임시 휴무 indicates a temporary closure. The second word tells you that work or business is suspended, rather than naming a national calendar event.
휴관 is used for closing an institution such as a museum or library to visitors. 휴관일 names its closed day. 휴일 is the broader day-off word, so recognizing 관 inside 휴관 helps when the place you want to visit is a public facility.
A notice that says 공휴일 휴무 means the business closes on public holidays. 공휴일 영업 means it operates on public holidays. 영업 concerns doing business or being open. The third original example describes shops closing; it does not mean every shop always follows that schedule.
Phrases for a Day off and Holiday Work
휴일에 쉬다 means to rest on a day off. The 에 marks when the resting happens. 휴일을 보내다 means to spend a day off, with the day treated as the time you spend. The first phrase names resting; the second leaves room for many different activities.
휴일 근무 means working on a day off. This combination is useful on schedules and in workplace conversations. It explains why a calendar holiday does not always mean a particular person is free. Their own work schedule still matters.
연휴 means consecutive days off or a holiday break. It can describe the stretch of free days around a holiday. 휴일 names a day off; 연휴 emphasizes several connected days. Neither word by itself says that someone has booked a trip.
Everyday Holiday Talk Versus Vacation Talk
휴일 works in neutral conversation and written notices. In a casual plan, 쉬는 날, literally “a day when one rests”, is another natural way to talk about a day off. It is useful when asking about a person's schedule rather than an official calendar.
휴가 means leave or vacation from work. It can be brief as well as long; the central point is the time away from work, rather than a fixed number of days. Use 휴가 for taking leave, even if you spend it at home.
English “holiday” also names celebrations. 설날 and 추석 are examples of 명절, traditional festive holidays. 명절 tells you about the occasion, 공휴일 about its public-holiday status, and 휴일 about having a day off. These meanings can overlap in one situation without being identical.
Words for Calendars and Opening Hours
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 평일 | weekday | Often appears opposite weekends on opening-hour notices. |
| 주말 | weekend | Names the part of the week, regardless of your work schedule. |
| 연휴 | consecutive days off | Emphasizes a connected break. |
| 휴관일 | closed day of an institution | Useful for museums and libraries. |
The holidays vocabulary lesson introduces holiday names and related expressions. For a visit, read the destination's closure wording as well as identifying your own day off.
Quick Self-Test
- Which names a museum’s closed day: 휴관일 or 휴가?
- Does 공휴일 영업 mean open or closed on public holidays?
- Must 휴가 last a whole week?
Show answers
- 휴관일.
- Open: 영업 means operating or doing business.
- No. 휴가 is leave or vacation, and its length can vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say holiday in Korean?
Say 휴일 (hyuil).
What is a public holiday?
It is 공휴일.
Is 휴일 a vacation?
No. 휴일 is a day off; a vacation or period of leave is 휴가.
How do I say tomorrow is a day off?
Say 내일은 휴일이에요.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: Culture holidays vocabulary groups 휴일 with its neighbours.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.