UNIT 10 Workplace and School Basic Conversations
Lesson 3: Being Late, Absent, or Leaving Early
おくれます — Communicating Attendance Problems Promptly
⏱️ About 25 minutes ／ 📊 Level: Beginner (N5) ／ 🗣️ Speaking + Reading
Before You Start
In Japan, punctuality and attendance are taken very seriously. If you are going to be late, absent, or need to leave early, you must communicate this as early as possible — ideally before the start of the workday or class. Silence is never acceptable. This lesson gives you the exact phrases to use when contacting your supervisor or teacher about attendance issues.
What you will learn:
- Say you will be late — 遅れます / 少し遅れます
- Report absence — 今日は休みます
- Explain you are unwell — 体調が悪いです
- Apologise formally — 申し訳ありません
- Ask to leave early — 早退したいです
- Say you will go to the hospital — 病院に行きます
1. Key Phrases ／ きほんのフレーズ
遅れます。
Okuremasu.
I will be late.
少し遅れます。
Sukoshi okuremasu.
I will be a little late.
今日は休みます。
Kyoo wa yasumimasu.
I will be absent today.
体調が悪いです。
Taichoo ga warui desu.
I am not feeling well.
申し訳ありません。
Mooshiwake arimasen.
I am very sorry. (Formal apology)
早退したいです。
Sootai shitai desu.
I would like to leave early.
病院に行きます。
Byooin ni ikimasu.
I will go to the hospital / clinic.
2. Phrase Notes ／ ポイント
① 遅れます — always say how much
遅れます = “I will be late.” Japanese culture expects specifics. Add the number of minutes to be useful:
10分遅れます。I will be 10 minutes late.
30分ほど遅れます。I will be about 30 minutes late.
少し遅れます。I will be a little late. (time unclear)
② 申し訳ありません — the formal apology
申し訳ありません is significantly stronger and more formal than すみません. Use it when contacting your boss about absence or lateness — it shows you understand the inconvenience. 申し訳ございません is even more formal (email or formal speech).
③ 体調が悪いです — explaining illness without oversharing
体調が悪いです = “I am not feeling well.” This is intentionally vague and perfectly acceptable — you don’t need to specify your illness. You can add cause if you wish: 熱があります (I have a fever) or 頭が痛いです (I have a headache).
⚠️ Important Rule
In Japan, contact your supervisor or teacher before the start of the workday or class — not after. Many Japanese workplaces expect contact by phone (not just message). When in doubt, call. The standard time to contact is before 9 AM for office jobs.
In Japan, contact your supervisor or teacher before the start of the workday or class — not after. Many Japanese workplaces expect contact by phone (not just message). When in doubt, call. The standard time to contact is before 9 AM for office jobs.
3. Attendance Words ／ きんたいのことば
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| 遅刻 | chikoku | being late / tardiness |
| 欠席 / 休み | kesseki / yasumi | absence |
| 早退 | sootai | early departure / leaving early |
| 体調 | taichoo | physical condition / health |
| 熱 | netsu | fever |
| 病院 | byooin | hospital / clinic |
| お大事に | odaiji ni | please take care (said to someone unwell) |
4. Conversation Practice ／ かいわ
💬 Conversation 1 — Calling to Report Late Arrival
💬 Conversation 2 — Calling to Report Absence
💬 Conversation 3 — Asking to Leave Early
💬 Conversation 4 — Reporting Fever and Going to Hospital
5. Vocabulary ／ たんご
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| 遅れます | okuremasu | will be late |
| 休みます | yasumimasu | will be absent / take the day off |
| 体調が悪い | taichoo ga warui | not feeling well |
| 申し訳ありません | mooshiwake arimasen | I’m very sorry (formal) |
| 早退 | sootai | early departure |
| 病院 | byooin | hospital / clinic |
| お大事に | odaiji ni | please take care (response to illness) |
6. Check Your Understanding ／ クイズ
Think about each question first. Answers and explanations are shown below.
Q1. What does 「遅れます。」 mean?
A. I will be absent. B. I will be late. C. I will leave early. D. I will go to hospital.
Answer: B
遅れます = “I will be late.” Always add how many minutes: 10分遅れます = “I will be 10 minutes late.”
遅れます = “I will be late.” Always add how many minutes: 10分遅れます = “I will be 10 minutes late.”
Q2. What does 「今日は休みます。」 mean?
A. I will leave early today. B. I will be a little late. C. I will be absent today. D. I am going to the hospital.
Answer: C
今日は休みます = “I will be absent today.” 休みます = take the day off / be absent.
今日は休みます = “I will be absent today.” 休みます = take the day off / be absent.
Q3. What does 「体調が悪いです。」 mean?
A. I am very sorry. B. I am not feeling well. C. I will go to hospital. D. I am a little tired.
Answer: B
体調が悪いです = “I am not feeling well.” 体調 = physical condition. 悪い = bad.
体調が悪いです = “I am not feeling well.” 体調 = physical condition. 悪い = bad.
Q4. What does 「申し訳ありません。」 mean?
A. I understand. B. Good morning. C. I am very sorry. (Formal) D. Please help me.
Answer: C
申し訳ありません = a formal, sincere apology. Much stronger than すみません. Always use this when contacting your boss about absence or lateness.
申し訳ありません = a formal, sincere apology. Much stronger than すみません. Always use this when contacting your boss about absence or lateness.
Q5. How do you say “I would like to leave early”?
A. 今日は休みます。 B. 遅れます。 C. 早退したいです。 D. 病院に行きます。
Answer: C
早退したいです = “I would like to leave early.” 早退 = early departure. Pair with 申し訳ありませんが to soften the request.
早退したいです = “I would like to leave early.” 早退 = early departure. Pair with 申し訳ありませんが to soften the request.
Q6. Your teacher says 「体調が悪いので、休みます。」 What do you reply?
A. おはようございます。 B. お大事にしてください。 C. わかりません。 D. よろしくお願いします。
Answer: B
お大事にしてください = “Please take care of yourself.” This is the standard and caring response when someone tells you they are unwell.
お大事にしてください = “Please take care of yourself.” This is the standard and caring response when someone tells you they are unwell.
7. Match the Meaning ／ れんしゅう
遅れます。 → ______
少し遅れます。 → ______
今日は休みます。 → ______
体調が悪いです。 → ______
申し訳ありません。 → ______
早退したいです。 → ______
病院に行きます。 → ______
Choices: A. I will be a little late. B. I will go to hospital. C. I am not feeling well. D. I will be late. E. I am very sorry. F. I would like to leave early. G. I will be absent today.
Answers: 遅れます = D ／ 少し遅れます = A ／ 今日は休みます = G ／ 体調が悪いです = C ／ 申し訳ありません = E ／ 早退したいです = F ／ 病院に行きます = B
🚀 Mini Mission
Today’s mission: Practice a full absence or late-arrival call in Japanese.
Role-play with your teacher — call your boss or teacher before 9 AM to report one of these situations:
申し訳ありません。／ 体調が悪いです。／ 今日は休みます / 10分遅れます / 早退したいです。／ 病院に行きます。／ よろしくお願いします。
📘 Review ／ まとめ
In this lesson you learned how to communicate attendance problems professionally in Japanese.
申し訳ありません。(Formal apology first)
体調が悪いです。(Reason)
今日は休みます。(Action)
病院に行きます。(Plan)
体調が悪いです。(Reason)
今日は休みます。(Action)
病院に行きます。(Plan)
💡 Always contact before the start time, not after. The sequence is: apology → reason → action → plan. This four-step structure works for any attendance situation in Japan.
FAQ
Q. Can I send a message instead of calling?
It depends on the workplace culture. Many Japanese companies still prefer a phone call for absence reports as it shows sincerity. Some workplaces allow LINE or chat. When in doubt, call. If you must message, use formal language and apologise appropriately.
Q. What if I need to be absent for multiple days?
Say: しばらく休みます = “I will be absent for a while.” Then give the expected return date if you know it: 来週から戻る予定です = “I plan to return next week.” For longer absences, your employer will expect a medical certificate (診断書).
Q. Is 申し訳ありません necessary, or is すみません enough?
For absence or late contact to a superior, 申し訳ありません is strongly recommended. すみません may come across as insufficiently formal or sincere in a professional context. Use 申し訳ありません with superiors; すみません with peers.
💼 Practice with a real teacher
Want to Practice with a Teacher?
Communicating attendance issues professionally in Japanese builds trust at any workplace or school. Try a free trial lesson and role-play this essential conversation.
Online or in-person — both available on request.