悠闲
yoū xián · HSK 7
carefree
🛋️ 悠 leisurely + 闲 idle; 闲 = 木 wood resting inside 门 door = free time
悠闲 pairs 悠 (drawn-out, unhurried) with 闲 (idle). The 闲 character sets 木 (wood) inside 门 (door) — a wooden bar across a doorway, an old etymology for downtime and nothing pressing to do.
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.