欠席（けっせき、keっseki）
- absence

The Japanese word 欠席 （けっせき） primarily means "absence" or "being absent." It is used when someone is not present at a meeting, class, event, or any scheduled activity. It implies that the person is not there, whether due to illness, a prior commitment, or another reason. The word focuses on the state of not being present.

⚫︎授業を欠席しました。 Translation: I was absent from class. ⚫︎会議を欠席せざるを得ませんでした。 Translation: I had to be absent from the meeting. ⚫︎彼はパーティーを欠席しました。 Translation: He was absent from the party.

⚫︎ You can use 欠席 in formal and informal situations. ⚫︎ It's often used when informing someone of your absence, such as a teacher, your boss, or a friend. ⚫︎ When giving a reason for your absence, you might use phrases like 〜のため ("because of ~") or 〜で ("due to ~").

⚫︎ 欠席 is typically written in kanji 欠席. ⚫︎ The reading is けっせき (hiragana). ⚫︎ The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is always 席.

⚫︎ 不在（ふざい): Absence; not being present (more general). ⚫︎ 休み（やすみ): Absence, a day off (used in more casual context, like taking a day off from work or school). ⚫︎休む（やすむ): to take a break, to rest, to be absent (verb form).

⚫︎ 出席（しゅっせき): Attendance; presence. ⚫︎ 参加（さんか): Participation; to participate. ⚫︎ 出る（でる): to attend; to go to.

風邪のため、今日の授業を欠席します。 ・Translation: I will be absent from today's class because of a cold. ・Explanation: This sentence clearly states the reason for 欠席 using 〜のため ("because of").

田中さんは会議を欠席した理由を説明した。 ・Translation: Mr. Tanaka explained the reason for his absence from the meeting. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 欠席 in the past tense to describe someone's absence and mentions that the reason was given.

⚫︎ 欠 means "to lack," "to be missing," or "to be deficient." ⚫︎ 席 means "seat" or "place." ⚫︎ Combining these characters, 欠席 literally means "to be missing from one's seat," hence, "absence."