Translation guide
Ways to express 'idle time' in Japanese, covering free time, downtime, and periods of inactivity.
Time when you are not busy and can do what you want.
The most common word for free time. Can also mean 'having nothing to do' or 'being bored'.
暇な時に映画を見ます。
I watch movies in my free time.
Short periods of inactivity, often unplanned, like waiting or having nothing to do.
Also used for idle moments. The nuance of boredom or having nothing to do is stronger here.
In business or computing, time when a machine or worker is not productive.
Do not directly translate 'idle time' as アイドル時間 or 怠惰な時間. Use the natural expressions above depending on context.
暇 (hima) is general free time or boredom. 空き時間 (akijikan) specifically refers to gaps in a schedule, like between classes or meetings.
Are you free today?
Literally 'empty time', used for gaps in a schedule.
空き時間に読書をします。
I read during my free time (between appointments).
Formal term for leisure time, often used in surveys or official contexts.
余暇の過ごし方について調査しました。
We conducted a survey on how people spend their leisure time.
電車の中で暇だったので、スマホをいじっていた。
I was idle on the train, so I was fiddling with my phone.
Describes the feeling of having nothing to do with your hands or being at a loose end.
待ち時間が長くて手持ち無沙汰だった。
The wait was so long I didn't know what to do with myself.
To have too much time on one's hands and not know how to use it.
休み中、時間を持て余している。
During the holidays, I have too much idle time.
Loanword from English, used in IT and manufacturing.
サーバーのアイドルタイムを減らす必要がある。
We need to reduce server idle time.
Formal term for idle time of equipment or labor.
機械の遊休時間を分析する。
Analyze machine idle time.