缺席

• Pinyin: quē xí
• Hanzi breakdown: 缺 = 缶 + 夬 (jar with a missing piece — absent); 席 = 巾 + 庶 (mat — one's designated place)

Meaning

To be absent; to fail to attend a scheduled event, hearing, meeting, or class. As a noun or adjective: absence; absent.

Used in formal contexts for court hearings (缺席审判 — trial in absentia), academic settings, and official meetings. More formal than 不在. 无故缺席 (absent without reason) carries a negative implication of negligence or disrespect.

Examples

1. 被告在庭审当天无故缺席，法院依法对其进行了缺席审判。 The defendant was absent without cause on the day of the trial, so the court conducted a trial in absentia in accordance with the law.
2. 他因突发疾病缺席了此次重要的国际学术会议，深感遗憾。 Because of a sudden illness, he had to miss this important international academic conference and felt deeply regretful.
3. 连续缺席三次课程的学生将被取消该课程的期末考试资格。 Students who miss three classes in a row will lose their eligibility to take the course’s final exam.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, academic, meetings, official proceedings

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 该国代表以抗议形式缺席了本届联合国人权理事会的审议会议。(The country's representative absented themselves from the current UN Human Rights Council review meeting as a form of protest.)
• 主席在宣布会议开始前，先确认了哪些成员单位无故缺席并要求书面说明原因。(Before declaring the meeting open, the chairperson first confirmed which member units were absent without reason and requested written explanations.)

Don't Say

• 他缺席了昨天的聚会 — this is grammatically correct but 缺席 sounds overly formal for casual social gatherings; use 他没来参加昨天的聚会 in informal contexts

Origin & History

缺 (absent/missing) + 席 (seat/place) — the seat is empty; one's place is unfilled

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal