“kyūjitsu” vs. “shukujitsu” vs. “teikyūbi”：Which Will You Relax at Home?

Yuka

休日、祝日、定休日 — three types of “day off” in Japanese, each with a distinct meaning. Getting them mixed up can lead to awkward situations!

Rei

休日 (kyuujitsu) is any day off — a rest day. 祝日 (shukujitsu) is a national public holiday. 定休日 (teikyuubi) is a business’s regular closed day. Let’s break them down!

休日 — Any Day Off

休日 (kyuujitsu) means a day of rest — it can be a personal day off, a weekend, or a holiday. It is the most general term.

• 今日は休日なのでゆっくりします。— Today is my day off so I’ll relax.
• 休日はどこに行きますか?— Where do you go on your days off?
• 休日出勤になってしまった。— I ended up having to work on my day off.

祝日 — National Public Holiday

祝日 (shukujitsu) specifically means a national public holiday — a day designated by the government when everyone is off. Japan has 16 national holidays per year.

• 明日は祝日なので休みです。— Tomorrow is a public holiday so we’re closed.
• 祝日と日曜日が重なった。— The public holiday fell on a Sunday.
• 祝日一覧を確認する。— Check the list of public holidays.

定休日 — A Business’s Regular Closed Day

定休日 (teikyuubi) is a shop’s or business’s regular day off — the day they are closed every week. This is critical to know before visiting a restaurant or store in Japan!

• 定休日は毎週月曜日です。— Our regular closed day is every Monday.
• 今日は定休日でした。— Today was their regular closed day (I was turned away).
• 定休日にご注意ください。— Please be aware of our regular closing day.

Common Mistakes for English Speakers

English speakers may use 休日 everywhere, but it’s worth knowing the distinctions. If a shop sign says 定休日：水曜日, it means they are closed every Wednesday — this is not a national holiday, just their weekly day off. 祝日 specifically means a government-designated public holiday, and 休日 is the general umbrella term.

Quick Quiz

A restaurant sign says “定休日：月曜日”. What does this mean?

Answer: The restaurant is closed every Monday (regular closing day).

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