A day off is a day when you don't work or study. It can be a day you take yourself (take a day off) or a regular free day in your schedule: Sunday is my only day off. Weekend doesn't work the same way: it means Saturday and Sunday together, not any free day.
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take a day off (work); have a day off; on my/your day off; a day off from + noun; days off
- I'm taking a day off on Friday to help my parents move house.
- On my day off I usually sleep in and cook something new for lunch.
- Can we move the meeting? Tuesday is my day off this week.
What changed
First versionWhat do you usually do in your day off?
RevisionWhat do you usually do on your day off?
It's easy to reach for in here, the way you'd say in the morning. But with days, English uses on: on Monday, on my birthday, on your day off. Only the preposition changes.
Swap the words and the meaning flips. An off day is a bad day when nothing goes right: Sorry, I'm having an off day, I keep making silly mistakes. A day off is freedom from work; an off day is a day when work just doesn't go well.
Your turn
I'm completely exhausted, so I've asked my manager for a ___ on Friday.
Show the answer
day off — The speaker is exhausted and asks the manager for a free day, which is a day off. An off day is a bad day when everything goes wrong, and nobody asks their boss for one of those.
Describe your day off. Say which day of the week it is and what you do in the morning.
My day off is Wednesday, and in the morning I go for a long run by the river.
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