fàngjià: 放假 - To be on vacation, to have a day off, to start a holiday

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• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese term 放假 (fàngjià), which means to be on vacation, have a day off, or start a holiday. This page breaks down its meaning, cultural significance, and practical usage. Discover the difference between 放假, which refers to the state of having officially scheduled time off from work or school, and other related terms like 度假 (dùjià) (to go on a trip) or 休息 (xiūxi) (to rest). Perfect for beginners who want to talk about holidays and weekends in authentic, everyday Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): fàngjià
• Part of Speech: Verb-Object Phrase
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: To have a scheduled holiday or vacation from work or school.
• In a Nutshell: 放假 (fàngjià) is one of the most beloved words for any student or employee in China. It literally means “to release a holiday.” It describes the state of being off work or school because of an official holiday, a weekend, or a scheduled break. Think of it as the green light turning on for your free time. A company or school 放假 (starts the holiday), and as a result, the people get to 放假 (be on holiday).

• 放 (fàng): This character's core meaning is “to release,” “to let go,” or “to put.” You can see it in words like 放心 (fàngxīn - to set one's mind at rest) and 放弃 (fàngqì - to give up).
• 假 (jià): In this context, this character means “holiday” or “vacation.” Be careful! This character has another common pronunciation, jiǎ, which means “fake” or “false.” Here, for “holiday,” it is always jià.
• The Magic of Combination: Together, 放假 (fàngjià) literally translates to “release a holiday.” This beautifully captures the essence of the word: an authority (like the government, a company, or a school) “releases” people from their duties, granting them a period of rest and freedom.

In Chinese culture, holidays are often collective, synchronized events. While an American might “take a vacation” using their personal PTO anytime, 放假 (fàngjià) often implies a group experience. The entire country or a whole company starts their holiday at the same time for major events like:

• 春节 (chūnjié): The Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)
• 国庆节 (guóqìngjié): The National Day, which creates a “Golden Week” (黄金周 - huángjīnzhōu)

This collective nature means that when it's time to 放假, cities transform. Major transportation hubs are packed, tourist sites are flooded, and there's a shared, national buzz of excitement. This is very different from the more individualistic Western approach to vacation time. The closest concept to “requesting personal time off” is not 放假, but 请假 (qǐngjià), which means “to request leave.” If you are sick and can't go to work, you 请假, you don't 放假. Understanding this distinction is key to using the term correctly.

放假 (fàngjià) is an extremely common, neutral term used in all situations, from official company announcements to casual chats with friends. Because it's a verb-object phrase, it's “separable,” which is a crucial grammar point. This means you can insert words, especially durations, in the middle.

• Standard Use: 我们明天放假。(Wǒmen míngtiān fàngjià.) - We have tomorrow off.
• Separable Use: 我们放三天假。(Wǒmen fàng sān tiān jià.) - We have a three-day holiday. (Literally: We release three days of holiday.)
• Asking Questions: You'll frequently ask friends or colleagues: “你们什么时候放假？” (Nǐmen shénme shíhou fàngjià?) - “When do you guys start your vacation?”

• Example 1:
  • 太好啦！我们明天终于放假了！
  • Pinyin: Tài hǎo la! Wǒmen míngtiān zhōngyú fàngjià le!
  • English: That's great! We finally get a day off tomorrow!
  • Analysis: This shows pure excitement. The particle “了 (le)” indicates a change of state—from working to not working.
• Example 2:
  • 请问，你们公司春节放几天假？
  • Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, nǐmen gōngsī Chūnjié fàng jǐ tiān jià?
  • English: Excuse me, how many days off does your company have for the Spring Festival?
  • Analysis: A perfect example of the separable verb structure. “放 (fàng)” and “假 (jià)” are separated by “几天 (jǐ tiān - how many days)”.
• Example 3:
  • 放假的时候，你有什么打算？
  • Pinyin: Fàngjià de shíhou, nǐ yǒu shénme dǎsuàn?
  • English: What are your plans for the holiday? (Literally: When it's holiday time…)
  • Analysis: Here, “放假的时候 (fàngjià de shíhou)” is used as a time phrase, meaning “during the holiday.”
• Example 4:
  • 孩子们一放假就想出去玩。
  • Pinyin: Háizimen yī fàngjià jiù xiǎng chūqù wán.
  • English: As soon as the kids are on break, they want to go out and play.
  • Analysis: The “一…就… (yī…jiù…)” structure means “as soon as… then…”. It links the start of the holiday directly to an action.
• Example 5:
  • 去年放假，我们全家一起去了海南。
  • Pinyin: Qùnián fàngjià, wǒmen quánjiā yīqǐ qùle Hǎinán.
  • English: During the holiday last year, our whole family went to Hainan together.
  • Analysis: Shows the use of 放假 to refer to a past holiday period.
• Example 6:
  • 根据国家规定，我们劳动节放假三天。
  • Pinyin: Gēnjù guójiā guīdìng, wǒmen Láodòngjié fàngjià sān tiān.
  • English: According to national regulations, we have three days off for Labor Day.
  • Analysis: A more formal sentence, typical of a company or school announcement. Notice you can say “放假三天 (fàngjià sān tiān)” or “放三天假 (fàng sān tiān jià)”. Both are correct.
• Example 7:
  • 这个周末不放假，我们要加班。
  • Pinyin: Zhège zhōumò bù fàngjià, wǒmen yào jiābān.
  • English: We don't have a day off this weekend, we have to work overtime.
  • Analysis: A negative example showing the opposite of 放假 is often 加班 (jiābān - to work overtime).
• Example 8:
  • 放假比上班开心多了！
  • Pinyin: Fàngjià bǐ shàngbān kāixīn duō le!
  • English: Being on holiday is so much happier than going to work!
  • Analysis: A simple comparison using “比 (bǐ)”. The antonym here is 上班 (shàngbān - to go to work).
• Example 9:
  • 他病了，所以请了两天假，不是放假。
  • Pinyin: Tā bìng le, suǒyǐ qǐngle liǎng tiān jià, bùshì fàngjià.
  • English: He was sick, so he asked for two days of leave; it wasn't a holiday.
  • Analysis: This sentence directly contrasts 请假 (qǐngjià) with 放假. This is a crucial distinction.
• Example 10:
  • 我们学校下周五开始放暑假。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xuéxiào xià zhōuwǔ kāishǐ fàng shǔjià.
  • English: Our school starts summer vacation next Friday.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates how specific types of holidays, like 暑假 (shǔjià - summer vacation), can be placed inside the separable verb.

• `放假` (fàngjià) vs. `度假` (dùjià): This is the most common point of confusion.
  • 放假 (fàngjià): The state of having time off. It's the “free time” itself.
  • 度假 (dùjià): The action of going somewhere for a trip/vacation. It's what you do when you 放假.
  • Correct: 我们下周放假，我打算去北京度假。(Wǒmen xià zhōu fàngjià, wǒ dǎsuàn qù Běijīng dùjià.) - We have a holiday next week, and I plan to go to Beijing for vacation.
  • Incorrect: 我要去北京放假。 (This sounds like you are a boss who is going to Beijing to grant a holiday to others).
• `放假` (fàngjià) vs. `休息` (xiūxi):
  • 放假 (fàngjià): An official, longer period of time off (a day, a week, a season).
  • 休息 (xiūxi): To rest. This can be a 10-minute break, a nap, or your regular weekend rest. It's more general. You can 休息 during your 放假.
• Forgetting it's Separable: Learners often forget they can and should put the duration in the middle of 放 and 假.
  • Awkward: 我们放假三天。(Wǒmen fàngjià sān tiān.) - While understandable, it's less native.
  • Natural: 我们放三天假。(Wǒmen fàng sān tiān jià.) - This is the more common and authentic phrasing.

• 度假 (dùjià) - To go on vacation (travel). The activity you do while you `放假`.
• 请假 (qǐngjià) - To ask for leave. This is a personal request for time off, not a scheduled holiday.
• 休息 (xiūxi) - To rest; to take a break. A more general term for not working.
• 假期 (jiàqī) - Vacation period; the holiday itself (noun). The time when you are `放假`.
• 节日 (jiérì) - Festival; public holiday. The reason you get to `放假`, e.g., Mid-Autumn Festival.
• 上班 (shàngbān) - To go to work. The direct antonym of `放假` for workers.
• 上学 (shàngxué) - To go to school. The antonym for students.
• 加班 (jiābān) - To work overtime. The sad opposite of `放假`.
• 周末 (zhōumò) - Weekend. The most regular and predictable time to `放假`.
• 黄金周 (huángjīnzhōu) - Golden Week. The famous week-long national holidays when the whole country seems to `放假`.