ズル休み

• Reading: ズルやすみ
• Romaji: zuru yasumi
• Kanji breakdown: ズル (sneaky, from ズルい) + 休み (rest/day off) → sneaky day off
• Pronunciation: /zɯ.ɾɯ ja.sɯ.mi/

Meaning

Playing hooky or faking sick — skipping work or school without a legitimate reason.

ズル休み combines ズルい (sneaky/cheating) with 休み (day off) to describe taking a day off under false pretenses. It typically means calling in sick when you're not actually ill, or making up an excuse to skip work or school. While universally understood and privately done by many, admitting to ズル休み is considered embarrassing. In Japanese workplace culture, where attendance and dedication are highly valued, ズル休み carries more social risk than in some other countries.

Examples

1. 今日ズル休みして映画見に行っちゃった。 I played hooky today and went to see a movie.
2. ズル休みしたいけど、小さい会社だからバレそう。 I want to play hooky, but it's a small company so I'd probably get caught.
3. 子どもの頃、ズル休みして親にバレてめっちゃ怒られた。 When I was a kid, I faked sick and my parents found out — I got in so much trouble.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, casual conversation, social media

Tone: playful, mischievous, guilty

Do Say

• 天気良すぎてズル休みしたくなるね。 (The weather's so nice, it makes you want to play hooky.)
• たまにはズル休みもいいんじゃない？ (An occasional sick day isn't so bad, right?)

Don't Say

• SNSでズル休みを公表しない (Don't post about your fake sick day on social media — your coworkers might see it)

Common Mistakes

• Using ズル休み in formal contexts or to your boss — it's strictly casual and admitting it to authority figures is risky

Origin & History

A compound of ズル (from ズルい, sneaky/cheating) and 休み (rest/day off). A long-standing colloquial expression used by both children (for school) and adults (for work).

Cultural Context

Era: Long-standing colloquial term

Generation: All ages (used for both school and work)

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. In a culture that values attendance, ズル休み carries more guilt and social risk than in many Western countries.