育休（いくきゅう、ikukyuu）
- childcare leave

The Japanese word 育休育休, read as いくきゅう, stands for "childcare leave" or "parental leave." It refers to the period of time a parent takes off work to care for a child. This leave is typically taken after the birth of a child, but it can also be used to care for an adopted child or a child who is ill. During 育休育休, the parent usually receives a portion of their salary, and their job is protected. The length of 育休育休 can vary depending on the country, the company's policies, and the parent's individual circumstances.

⚫︎育休育休を取得する。 Translation: To take childcare leave. ⚫︎夫が妻の育休育休中に育児を手伝う。 Translation: The husband helps with childcare during his wife's childcare leave. ⚫︎会社は社員の育休育休取得を奨励している。 Translation: The company encourages employees to take childcare leave.

You use 育休育休 in conversations when discussing parental leave, whether you are talking about your own plans, someone else's, or the policies around it. It's common to use it when talking about returning to work after having a child or discussing childcare responsibilities. It's suitable for both formal and informal settings. You can also use it to describe the act of taking, planning for, or being on leave.

育休育休 is typically written in kanji and hiragana. ⚫︎Kanji: 育 ⚫︎Hiragana: きゅう There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana is standard.

There are no direct perfect synonyms, however words related to childcare, parental duties, or time off for children could be considered as having similar meanings. ⚫︎産休 (sankyū) - Maternity leave (for the mother before and after childbirth) ⚫︎産休・育休 (sankyū・ikukyū) - Maternity and childcare leave (combined) ⚫︎育児休暇 (ikuji kyūka) - Childcare leave (another way to say it, more formal)

There are no direct antonyms, but you could consider the opposite to be "working" or "returning to work" after childcare leave. ⚫︎復職 (fukushoku) - Returning to work.

彼は子供が生まれたので、一年間の《育休育休を取ることにしました。》 ・Translation: He decided to take a year of childcare leave because his child was born. ・Explanation: This sentence explains that a man will be taking childcare leave to care for his newborn child.

彼女は《育休育休から復帰し、仕事と育児を両立させています。》 ・Translation: She has returned from childcare leave and is balancing work and childcare. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a woman who has returned to work after her childcare leave.

The word 育休育休 is a combination of two kanji: ⚫︎育 (iku) - meaning "to raise," "to bring up," or "to nurture." ⚫︎休 (kyū) - meaning "rest," "leave," or "vacation." Therefore, 育休育休 literally means "child-rearing leave" or "nurturing leave."