Arbeitsfrei

Arbeitsfrei is a German adjective and adverb meaning “not at work” or “off work.” It describes a state in which someone or a workplace is temporarily exempt from work, typically because of holidays, days off, or planned breaks.

In everyday language, people say “Ich bin heute arbeitsfrei” or “Wir haben morgen arbeitsfrei,” to indicate they do not have to work that day or period. In workplace communications, arbeitsfrei appears on notices to mark non-working days, shift reductions, or company-wide breaks. It is related to but distinct from terms such as Urlaub (paid vacation) and Krankheit (illness), which describe different reasons for being away from work.

In educational contexts, the term arbeitsfrei is less common; terms like Unterrichtsfrei or schulfrei are typically used to denote days without classes rather than to describe employees’ status.

Etymologically, arbeitsfrei is a compound of Arbeit (work) and frei (free). The usage is widespread in German-speaking regions and covers short-term absences as well as planned breaks. It can also appear in notices about public holidays when a business or institution is closed for a period.

Notes on language: while arbeitsfrei conveys a general sense of having no obligation to work, it should not be conflated with unemployment (arbeitslos) or with historical slogans. The well-known Nazi slogan Ar-

beit macht frei is a separate context; the modern term arbeitsfrei in everyday discourse is unrelated to that phrase, which is now widely regarded as historically loaded. See also Urlaub, Urlaubstage, Arbeitszeitgesetz.