閒 (xián) - Leisure, idleness & spare time

閒Tone 2

xián ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

閒 · xián

Leisure, idleness;

spare time;

unoccupied;

also used to mean 'idle' or 'unnecessary'.

Leisure, idlenessspare timeunoccupied

Usage highlights

Leisure timeIdle talkUnoccupiedIdle personUnnecessary matterLeisurely and carefree

Synonyms

  • 闲— leisure, idle (simplified equivalent)
  • 空— empty, free
  • 暇— leisure time

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I have some leisure time (閒暇).
  • He is idle and does nothing (閒着).
  • This is an idle conversation (閒談).
  • Don't meddle in other people's business (別管閒事).

Collocations

  • Leisure time(閒暇)
  • Idle talk(閒談)
  • Unoccupied(空閒)
  • Idle person(閒人)
  • Unnecessary matter(閒事)
  • Leisurely and carefree(悠閒)

Idioms

  • An idle fellow busybody(多管閒事之人)
  • Leisurely and content(悠閒自得)
  • To have no time to spare(不得閒)
  • To chat idly(說閒話)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of 'leisure' (閒) was often associated with the ideal life of a scholar-gentleman, who had time for self-cultivation.
  • The character originally depicted moonlight through a door crack, evoking a sense of quiet, unused space.
  • It is distinct from the more common character 闲 (simplified), though they are often used interchangeably in modern contexts.

FAQ