音読み: ソク
訓読み: いき
画数: 10
部首: こころ（心）
Meaning
Breath / Rest / Son
- 休息 — rest, break
- ため息 — sigh
- 息子 — son
- 息苦しい — suffocating, hard to breathe
- 消息 — news, tidings
More examples - tap to expand
- 息災 — health, being free from illness
- 窒息 — suffocation
- 延息 — prolongation of life, respite
The kanji 息 combines 自 (nose) and 心 (heart), symbolizing “breath” — a vital life force linked to the mind and body. It also extends metaphorically to rest, life, and one's offspring.