休闲
xiū xián · HSK 5
leisure
🛋️ 休 = person 亻+ tree 木 (resting under a tree) + 闲 = idle
休 shows a person leaning against a tree — the classic 'rest' character. 闲 is a door 门 with a tree 木 inside, suggesting a gate left unused. Together: rest + idle = leisure time off work.
闲 — gate 門 + tree 木
Originally depicts a tree or wooden bar placed within a gate (門), suggesting a barrier or enclosure. The simplified form 闲 keeps 木 inside 门. Meaning extended from 'barrier/fence' to 'enclosed space,' then to 'leisure' or 'idle' — being free from work, as if shut away at rest.