有給休暇

• Reading: ゆうきゅうきゅうか
• Romaji: yuukyuu kyuuka
• Kanji breakdown: 有 (yuu) — have; 給 (kyuu) — salary, provide; 休 (kyuu) — rest; 暇 (ka) — leisure
• Pronunciation: /jɯː.kjɯː.kjɯː.ka/

Meaning

Paid vacation; paid holiday; paid leave. Time off from work with continued pay.

A noun referring to paid time off guaranteed by Japanese labour law. Often abbreviated to 有給 (yuukyuu) or 有休 (yuukyuu) in casual conversation. Japanese workers are entitled to paid leave by law, but Japan is known for low utilisation rates due to workplace culture. Common expressions include 有給休暇を取る (to take paid leave) and 有給休暇が余っている (to have unused paid leave).

Examples

1. 有給休暇を使って海外旅行に行く予定だ。 I'm planning to use my paid vacation to travel abroad.
2. 有給休暇の取得率を上げることが会社の目標だ。 Increasing the rate of paid leave usage is a company goal.
3. まだ有給休暇が十日も残っている。 I still have ten days of paid vacation left.

Usage Guide

Context: workplace, HR, labour law, travel planning

Tone: professional

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 有給 (yuukyuu, paid, from 有 'have' + 給 'salary/provide') + 休暇 (kyuuka, holiday/leave, from 休 'rest' + 暇 'leisure'). A legal compound meaning 'leave with salary maintained.'

Cultural Context

Era: Post-war

Generation: Working adults

Social background: Universal