Translation guide
The English phrase "down time" can refer to a period of rest or relaxation, or to a period when a system or service is not functioning. This guide covers both meanings and provides natural Japanese expressions for each.
Literally 'break time', this is the most common way to refer to a scheduled rest period during work or activity.
昼休みは一時間の休憩時間です。
Lunch break is an hour of down time.
Means 'free time' and is used for personal time when you can do whatever you like.
週末は自由時間がたくさんある。
I have a lot of down time on weekends.
Refers to idle or free time, often with a nuance of having nothing particular to do.
仕事が終わって、暇な時間ができた。
After work, I had some down time.
A loanword from English 'off time', used to mean time off from work or duties, often in casual contexts.
オフタイムは趣味を楽しんでいます。
I enjoy my hobbies during down time.
Literally 'breathing out', this means a short break or breather to relieve stress. It's more about taking a mental break than a long rest.
ちょっと息抜きにコーヒーを飲もう。
Let's take a little down time and have some coffee.
The direct loanword from English, commonly used in IT and business contexts to refer to system downtime.
サーバーのダウンタイムは一時間続いた。
The server down time lasted for an hour.
Means 'stoppage time' and is used for machines or systems that are out of operation.
機械の停止時間を最小限に抑える。
Minimize machine down time.
Used for scheduled pauses or suspensions, such as in manufacturing or services.
システムの休止時間は深夜です。
System down time is late at night.