'歇手' is a colloquial verb meaning 'to stop working temporarily', often implying a short break from physical or mental labor. The character 歇 (xiē) means 'to rest' or 'to pause', while 手 (shǒu) literally means 'hand' but here functions idiomatically to indicate 'doing', 'working', or 'taking action' — together, they evoke the image of 'resting one's hands', i.e., pausing work. It carries a casual, conversational tone and is commonly used in spoken Mandarin, especially among coworkers, family members, or friends during everyday tasks.

This phrase emphasizes brevity and informality: it’s not for long vacations or formal leave, but for moments like stepping away from cooking, pausing construction work, or taking a breath mid-chores. It’s rarely used in formal writing or official contexts, and seldom appears with aspect markers like 了 or 过 unless narrating past actions in informal storytelling.