Definition
缺席 means 'to be absent' from a scheduled event, meeting, or class — a formal, general verb for when someone is expected but not present. Unlike 缺 (quē), which can also mean 'to be absent' but is more colloquial and often used in fixed compounds (e.g., 缺课 'miss class'), 缺席 is a standalone verb. 旷课 (kuàng kè) is narrower, specifically 'to skip class without permission' (play truant).
verb
to be absent (from an event, meeting, class, etc.)
Examples
- 缺席。Tā jīngcháng quē xí huìyì.He is often absent from meetings.
- 缺席。Jīntiān yǒu sān rén quē xí.Three people are absent today.
- 缺席，。Rúguǒ nǐ quē xí, qǐng tíqián qǐngjià.If you are absent, please ask for leave in advance.
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