jiàqī: 假期 - Holiday, Vacation, Leave

• Keywords: 假期, jiàqī, Chinese vacation, Chinese holiday, time off in China, leave period, what is jiaqi, how to say vacation in Chinese, public holidays in China, annual leave, fàngjià, xiūjià.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 假期 (jiàqī), which means “holiday,” “vacation,” or a period of “leave.” This term is fundamental to daily life in China, covering everything from national public holidays like the Spring Festival to personal annual leave from work or a student's summer break. This guide will break down its meaning, cultural significance (including the famous “Golden Weeks”), and practical usage with plenty of examples, helping you talk about your time off like a native.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jiàqī
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: A designated period of time off from work or school for rest, travel, or festivities.
• In a Nutshell: 假期 (jiàqī) is the all-purpose Chinese word for any scheduled break. Think of it as a “leave period.” It's less about the specific reason for the break (like Christmas or a birthday) and more about the block of time itself. If you're not working or going to school for a day or more because it's scheduled time off, you're in a 假期.

• 假 (jià): In this context, this character means “leave” or “holiday.” It's composed of the person radical (亻) on the left, suggesting it's something for people. (Be careful: this character is also pronounced `jiǎ` where it means “fake” or “false,” but that's a different meaning).
• 期 (qī): This character means a “period of time,” “phase,” or “term.” The presence of the moon/month radical (月) at the bottom right hints at a duration or a cycle.
• Together, 假期 (jiàqī) literally translates to a “leave period” or “holiday duration,” which perfectly captures its meaning as a block of time off.

In China, 假期 is not just personal time off; it's a major, often collective, social event. The concept is dominated by several state-mandated public holidays that the entire country observes simultaneously. The most significant of these are the Spring Festival (春节, Chūnjié) and National Day (国庆节, Guóqìngjié). These holidays often form week-long breaks known as “Golden Weeks” (黄金周, huángjīnzhōu). During these periods, hundreds of millions of people travel, creating the world's largest annual human migration, particularly during the Spring Festival travel rush (春运, chūnyùn). A unique and often confusing concept for Westerners is 调休 (tiáoxiū), or “adjusted rest.” To create a longer consecutive 假期 like a Golden Week, the government may designate a preceding or following weekend day as an official workday. So, you might get a 7-day holiday, but you have to “pay for it” by working on a Saturday or Sunday. This reflects a collective mindset where the benefit of a long, uninterrupted break for the nation is prioritized over the individual's typical weekend rhythm. This contrasts sharply with the Western concept of vacation, which is usually more individualized and doesn't involve “making up” workdays on a national scale.

假期 (jiàqī) is a high-frequency word used in both formal and informal contexts.

• In Conversation: It's the standard way to ask about someone's plans for an upcoming break or to talk about a recent trip.
  • “这个假期你有什么计划？” (What plans do you have for this holiday?)
• At Work/School: The term is used in official announcements about holiday schedules. An employee would use the related verb `请假 (qǐngjià)` to request personal leave, which is a type of 假期.
  • “公司公布了春节假期的安排。” (The company announced the Spring Festival holiday schedule.)
• On Social Media: People will constantly post pictures and updates about their 假期 life, whether it's traveling to a scenic spot or just relaxing at home.

The connotation of 假期 is almost always positive and filled with anticipation. It represents a well-deserved break from the pressures of work and study.

• Example 1:
  • 祝你假期愉快！
  • Pinyin: Zhù nǐ jiàqī yúkuài!
  • English: Have a happy holiday!
  • Analysis: This is a very common and friendly phrase used right before a holiday break begins. It's the Chinese equivalent of “Enjoy your vacation!” or “Happy holidays!”
• Example 2:
  • 我的假期太短了，感觉什么都没做。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de jiàqī tài duǎn le, gǎnjué shénme dōu méi zuò.
  • English: My vacation was too short, I feel like I didn't do anything.
  • Analysis: A very relatable complaint. Here, 假期 clearly refers to the speaker's personal block of time off.
• Example 3:
  • 国庆节假期有七天，我们去旅游吧！
  • Pinyin: Guóqìngjié jiàqī yǒu qī tiān, wǒmen qù lǚyóu ba!
  • English: The National Day holiday is seven days long, let's go travel!
  • Analysis: This sentence shows how 假期 is attached to the name of a specific festival (国庆节) to refer to the break associated with it.
• Example 4:
  • 学生们最期待的就是暑假和寒假这两个长假期。
  • Pinyin: Xuéshēngmen zuì qīdài de jiùshì shǔjià hé hánjià zhè liǎng ge cháng jiàqī.
  • English: The thing students look forward to the most are the two long holidays: summer vacation and winter vacation.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates how 假期 can be used as a general noun to categorize more specific types of holidays like `暑假 (shǔjià)` and `寒假 (hánjià)`.
• Example 5:
  • 为了凑齐七天假期，我们这周六需要调休上班。
  • Pinyin: Wèile còu qí qī tiān jiàqī, wǒmen zhè zhōuliù xūyào tiáoxiū shàngbān.
  • English: In order to get a full seven-day holiday, we have to work this Saturday as a make-up day.
  • Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates the concept of `调休 (tiáoxiū)` in relation to creating a long 假期.
• Example 6:
  • 你今年的年假都休完了吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ jīnnián de niánjià dōu xiū wán le ma?
  • English: Have you used up all of your annual leave for this year?
  • Analysis: Note the common abbreviation here. `年假 (niánjià)` means “annual leave.” While the full term is `年假期`, it's almost always shortened to `年假` in conversation. The character `期` is dropped.
• Example 7:
  • 他生病了，所以请了三天病假。
  • Pinyin: Tā shēngbìng le, suǒyǐ qǐng le sān tiān bìngjià.
  • English: He was sick, so he took three days of sick leave.
  • Analysis: Similar to the previous example, `病假 (bìngjià)` is “sick leave.” Again, the character `期` is often omitted in these compound words, but the core concept of `假` as leave remains.
• Example 8:
  • 这个假期我不打算出门，只想在家好好休息。
  • Pinyin: Zhège jiàqī wǒ bù dǎsuàn chūmén, zhǐ xiǎng zài jiā hǎohǎo xiūxi.
  • English: I don't plan on going out this holiday; I just want to rest well at home.
  • Analysis: This shows that a 假期 doesn't have to involve travel. It's simply a period of not working.
• Example 9:
  • 很多商店在春节假期会关门。
  • Pinyin: Hěn duō shāngdiàn zài Chūnjié jiàqī huì guānmén.
  • English: Many shops will close during the Spring Festival holiday.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates using 假期 with a time preposition `在 (zài)` to mean “during the holiday period.”
• Example 10:
  • 每次假期结束，我都不想去上班。
  • Pinyin: Měi cì jiàqī jiéshù, wǒ dōu bù xiǎng qù shàngbān.
  • English: Every time the vacation ends, I don't want to go to work.
  • Analysis: This expresses the common “post-vacation blues.” `假期结束 (jiàqī jiéshù)` means “the holiday ends.”

• `假期 (jiàqī)` vs. `假日 (jiàrì)`: This is a key distinction.
  • 假期 (jiàqī) refers to a *period* or *duration* of time off. It answers the question “How long is the break?” (e.g., a three-day break, a week-long vacation).
  • 假日 (jiàrì) refers to a single holiday *day*. It answers the question “Is today a day off?” (e.g., October 1st is a national holiday day).
  • Example: 国庆节假期有七天，但10月1日是法定假日。 (The National Day holiday period is seven days, but October 1st is the legal holiday day.)
• `假期 (jiàqī)` vs. `节日 (jiérì)`:
  • 假期 (jiàqī) is the *time off* you get.
  • 节日 (jiérì) is the *festival* or *event* itself (e.g., Spring Festival, Christmas, Mid-Autumn Festival).
  • You get a 假期 *because* of a 节日.
  • Incorrect: 我最喜欢的假期是中秋节。 (My favorite holiday period is Mid-Autumn Festival.) - This is awkward. You like the festival, not just the time off.
  • Correct: 我最喜欢的节日是中秋节。 (My favorite festival is Mid-Autumn Festival.)
  • Correct: 我很期待中秋节假期。 (I'm looking forward to the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday break.)

• 放假 (fàngjià) - (Verb) To have a day off; to start a holiday. It's the action of getting a break. “我们明天放假！” (We have the day off tomorrow!)
• 节日 (jiérì) - (Noun) A festival. The reason for the holiday (e.g., Spring Festival).
• 休假 (xiūjià) - (Verb/Noun) To take a vacation; to be on leave. It's slightly more formal than just saying you're on 假期.
• 请假 (qǐngjià) - (Verb) To ask for leave/time off. This is the action you take to get a personal holiday.
• 假日 (jiàrì) - (Noun) A single holiday day, as opposed to the longer period of 假期.
• 暑假 (shǔjià) - (Noun) Summer vacation. Specifically for students.
• 寒假 (hánjià) - (Noun) Winter vacation. Specifically for students, usually around Chinese New Year.
• 年假 (niánjià) - (Noun) Annual leave. Paid time off from work.
• 黄金周 (huángjīnzhōu) - (Noun) Golden Week. A specific type of 假期 that lasts for seven days.
• 调休 (tiáoxiū) - (Verb/Noun) The system of working on a weekend to create a longer, uninterrupted 假期.