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Meaning & use

my day off

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/maɪ ˌdeɪ ˈɒf/
US/maɪ ˌdeɪ ˈɔːf/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phrase

    A day when you do not have to go to work, school, or your usual job.

    Grammar: Used with a possessive word in front: my day off, her day off. The plural is "my days off".

    Patterns

    • my day off
    • have a day off
    • on my day off
    • take a day off

    I have a dentist's appointment on my day off, which is annoying.

    My day off is Wednesday, so I can meet you for lunch then.

    After three weeks without a break, I really needed my day off.

  2. phrasefixed phrase

    A day when you are free from your usual duties and can rest or do what you like.

    Grammar: Often used with "on": on my day off I usually sleep late. The plural form is "my days off".

    Patterns

    • on my day off
    • spend my day off doing something
    • my day off from work

    On my day off I like to stay in bed until ten and read.

    She spent her day off cleaning the whole apartment from top to bottom.

    It's my day off from work tomorrow, so I'm turning off my phone.

  3. phrasefixed phrase

    A day when a place such as a shop or office is closed, or when a planned activity does not happen.

    Grammar: Here the phrase describes the place or event, not a person: the museum's day off, a day off from school.

    Patterns

    • a day off from school
    • the museum's day off
    • a day off from training

    The children had a day off from school because of the snow.

    Tuesday is the restaurant's day off, so don't go there then.

    The team gets a day off from training after every match.

Word forms

pluralmy days off

Common combinations

have a day off
Do you have a day off this Friday?
take a day off
I'm taking a day off next week to move house.
on my day off
On my day off I usually go for a long run.
spend my day off
He spent his day off fixing his bike.
a well-earned day off
After that busy month, she finally enjoyed a well-earned day off.
a day off from work
I need a day off from work — I'm exhausted.

Synonyms and how they differ

a day off
The general form without a possessive word; use it when you are not saying whose day it is: "Everyone needs a day off now and then."
a rest day
More formal and often used in sport or fitness schedules; "my day off" is the everyday phrase for work and school.
free time
Refers to any spare hours, not a whole day away from duties, so it does not fit "I have Wednesday as my ___".
a break
A short pause, often minutes or hours; a day off is a full day without work.

Opposites

a workdaya working day

Word family

day off noun
The same idea without a possessive word: "I'd like a day off."
days off noun
The plural, used for regular free days: "My days off are Saturday and Sunday."
time off noun
A period away from work, which may be longer or shorter than a single day.

Commonly confused: my day off or day out? my day off or off day?

my day off vs day out

A day out is a trip somewhere for fun, not a day free from work: "We had a lovely day out at the beach."

my day off vs off day

An off day means a day when you perform badly or things go wrong, not a day when you are not working: "The team had an off day and lost."

Practice

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