休养生息

休養生息

xiūyǎng-shēngxī

idiom #47,579

Meanings

1 to rest and recuperate
2 (esp. of a country after war) to recover strength and let the population grow

Characters

to nurture; recover

to produce; give birth

to breathe; multiply

Examples

HSK 5

他辞职回乡，打算休养生息几年。

Tā cízhí huíxiāng, dǎsuan xiūyǎng-shēngxī jǐ nián.

He resigned and went home, planning to rest and recover for a few years.

HSK 6

战争结束后，国家需要时间休养生息。

Zhànzhēng jiéshù hòu, guójiā xūyào shíjiān xiūyǎng-shēngxī.

After the war ended, the country needed time to recover.

Tips

history

From Han Yu's 《平淮西碑》: '高宗中睿，休养生息' - describing Tang emperors giving the exhausted populace time to recover after war. Classical context is still the core meaning; personal use is a natural extension.

Stroke Order

休 xiū

养 yǎng

生 shēng

息 xī