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欠席
kesseki
absence
彼は会議を欠席した。
He was absent from the meeting.
formal
The state of not being present where one is expected or required to be
彼女は病気で学校を欠席した。
She was absent from school due to illness.
会議の欠席理由を述べた。
I stated the reason for my absence from the meeting.
Commonly used in formal contexts such as school, work, or official events.
formal
To fail to attend an event or obligation (suru-verb)
彼は今日、授業を欠席します。
He will be absent from class today.
Conjugates as 欠席する (kesseki suru) when used as a verb.
Pro Tip
Formal vs. Informal
In informal contexts, people might say '休む' (yasumu, 'to rest/be absent') instead of '欠席する'. However, '欠席' is preferred in formal or written contexts.
Gold Rule
Conjugation
As a suru-verb, 欠席 conjugates like する: 欠席する (present), 欠席した (past), 欠席しない (negative).
Word Origin
From 欠 (ketsu, 'lack') + 席 (seki, 'seat'), literally 'lacking a seat' or 'not occupying a seat'. The compound dates to classical Chinese and entered Japanese via Sino-Japanese vocabulary.
Usage Notes
Used in both noun and verb forms. The verb form is conjugated as 欠席する (kesseki suru). In formal settings, providing a reason for absence (e.g., 病気で) is common.
Word Breakdown
欠
lack, missing
root席
seat, place
root和英辞典