spare time; free time; leisure time
Refers to time when one is not occupied with work or duties; often used in contexts like doing something in one's spare time.
片手間に小説を書いている。
I write novels in my spare time.
片手間を見つけて運動するようにしている。
I try to find free time to exercise.
余暇 is a more formal term for leisure time, often used in contexts like hobbies or recreational activities, whereas 片手間 is more casual and can refer to any spare moments.
side job; odd jobs; work done in one's spare time
Compound of 片手 (one hand) and 間 (interval, time), literally 'one-hand time', suggesting time when one is not fully occupied and can do something with one hand free.