留守電（るすでん、rusuden）
- voicemail

The Japanese word 留守電 （るすでん） stands for "answering machine" or "voicemail." It refers to a device or service that records messages when someone is unavailable to answer a phone call. The term is a shortened form of 留守番電話 （るすばんでんわ）, which literally translates to "absentee telephone" or "telephone for when you are away."

⚫︎留守電にメッセージを残しました。 Translation: I left a message on the answering machine. ⚫︎友達の留守電を聞いて、びっくりしました。 Translation: I was surprised after listening to my friend's voicemail. ⚫︎会社の留守電で、新しい案内が流れました。 Translation: A new announcement played on the company's voicemail.

You can use 留守電 when talking about an answering machine or voicemail service. It is used to refer to both the device itself and the system that stores the messages. It is common to say things like, "I'll check my 留守電 later" or "Please leave a message on the 留守電." It is also used to refer to listening to the messages recorded on the machine or the service.

留守電 is primarily written in hiragana as るすでん. However, when writing the full word with kanji, it is 留守電. There are no variations in okurigana. It is often used as a shortened form, and the full version, 留守番電話, is used less frequently, and it is more formal.

⚫︎留守番電話 （るすばんでんわ） - This is the longer, more formal version of 留守電, literally translating to "absentee telephone." ⚫︎ボイスメール - This is a loanword from English and refers to "voicemail."

⚫︎電話に出る - To answer the phone. ⚫︎通話中 - During a phone call, or, in the context of messaging, the opposite of a recorded message.

すみません、電話に出られなかったので、留守電にメッセージをお願いします。 ・Translation: Sorry, I couldn't answer the phone, so please leave a message on the answering machine. ・Explanation: This sentence explains that the speaker was unable to answer the phone and is asking the caller to leave a message on the 留守電.

留守電を聞いたら、大切な用件が入っていた。 ・Translation: After listening to the voicemail, there was an important matter. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the action of checking the voicemail and discovering that there was an important message.

The word 留守電 is a shortened form of 留守番電話, which combines 留守 （るす）, meaning "absence" or "being away from home," and 電話 （でんわ）, meaning "telephone." Therefore, 留守電 directly implies a "telephone for when you are away."