About this lesson and its scene
Identify the child and class, report an absence or lateness, give a concise reason when appropriate, and understand what the school needs next.
To notify a school about an absence, identify the child and class, then say 今日は休みます (“They will be absent today”) or 少し遅れます (“They will be a little late”). Give only the reason and health details the school needs, ask what follow-up is required, and use the school’s official channel.
Key phrase 今日は休みます They will be absent today. Open the card above ↑
Manga scene · Read from right to leftRead from top to bottom
Identify the child before the absence
Nora says only that her child will not come today.
Nora今日は休みます。
They will be absent today.
The school asks for the child's name, class, and caller relationship.
Staffお名前とクラスをお願いします。
Name and class, please.
Nora identifies Luca and his class and gives a concise reason.
Nora一年二組のルカです。発熱のため、今日は休みます。
This is Luca in Class 1-2. He will be absent today because of a fever.
She repeats the school's request to update them before Luca returns.
Nora明日の朝、もう一度連絡します。
I will contact you again tomorrow morning.
Dialogue remains selectable HTML. The illustrations contain no dependable generated text.
Identify the child, class, and caller
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
一年二組のルカです | ichinen nikumi no Ruka desu | This is Luca in Class 1-2 | Identify child and class |
母のノラです | haha no Nora desu | This is Nora, the mother | Identify the caller relationship |
担任の先生をお願いします | tannin no sensei o onegai shimasu | May I speak with the homeroom teacher? | Ask when the school process requires it |
欠席の連絡です | kesseki no renraku desu | I am calling about an absence | State the purpose |
Use only the official school number, app, form, or email. Avoid posting absence and child details in an informal group chat unless the school explicitly uses it.
State absent or late and the date
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
今日は休みます | kyō wa yasumimasu | They will be absent today | State a one-day absence |
少し遅れます | sukoshi okuremasu | They will be a little late | Add expected arrival |
十時ごろ登校します | jūji goro tōkō shimasu | They will arrive at school around ten | Give an estimate |
明日も休む予定です | ashita mo yasumu yotei desu | They are expected to be absent tomorrow too | State current plan, not certainty |
Give a concise reason when required
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
発熱のためです | hatsunetsu no tame desu | Because of a fever | Concise observable reason |
家庭の事情です | katei no jijō desu | For family reasons | Use when sufficient under school policy |
詳しいことは先生に相談します | kuwashii koto wa sensei ni sōdan shimasu | I will discuss the details with the teacher | Protect private details |
受診について確認中です | jushin ni tsuite kakunin-chū desu | We are checking about medical care | Do not claim a diagnosis |
For symptoms that may trigger school health procedures, answer the school’s factual questions and follow current medical and school guidance. This lesson cannot determine attendance safety.
Understand a school routing question
The receiver may ask whether the child uses the school bus, lunch service, after-school care, or another program that also needs notice. Answer each service separately. 学校には連絡しました does not necessarily notify every external provider.
If lateness changes who accompanies the child, confirm the entrance, arrival procedure, and adult handoff. Do not instruct a child to enter through an unfamiliar route based only on a phrase example.
When the school says 様子を見てください, ask what observation and next contact time they mean. Record temperature or symptoms only as requested and avoid turning staff wording into a medical diagnosis.
Confirm the next school action
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
何か提出するものはありますか | nanika teishutsu suru mono wa arimasu ka | Is there anything we need to submit? | Ask about the current process |
明日も連絡が必要ですか | ashita mo renraku ga hitsuyō desu ka | Do we need to contact you again tomorrow? | Confirm follow-up |
宿題はどこで確認できますか | shukudai wa doko de kakunin dekimasu ka | Where can we check the homework? | Ask about missed work |
登校前に電話してください | tōkō mae ni denwa shite kudasai | Please call before coming to school | Repeat the instruction |
School-procedure boundary
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology provides a multilingual Guidebook for Starting School as general orientation for families. It does not replace the child’s school, board of education, clinician, or current public-health instructions. Use the school’s current notification and return procedure, and seek medical or emergency help based on the child’s condition rather than this phrase example. Source boundary last checked: July 12, 2026.
Close the absence call with the school’s request
- Identify the child and class before the status.
- State date and expected arrival precisely.
- Share necessary facts through the official channel.
- Confirm follow-up before returning.
Continue the school relationship after the absence report
A later teacher conversation may need observations and a follow-up plan; a parent introduction helps establish the adult-to-adult school connection before practical contact is needed. Keep each conversation focused on its own purpose.
How do you tell a school your child is absent in Japanese?
Identify the child and class first — 一年二組のルカです — and the caller relationship — 母のノラです. State the purpose with 欠席の連絡です, then the status and date: 今日は休みます for a one-day absence, or 少し遅れます with an arrival estimate such as 十時ごろ登校します. Use only the school’s official contact channel.
How do you give the reason for a school absence in Japanese?
A concise, observable reason is enough in most cases: 発熱のためです (“Because of a fever”) or 家庭の事情です (“For family reasons”) when school policy accepts it. To share sensitive details only with the right person, add 詳しいことは先生に相談します, and avoid claiming a diagnosis — 受診について確認中です keeps the statement factual.
Street Check · 1–3 minutes
Try the real-world task
Complete one school absence or lateness notification.
Ready means:
- I can identify the child and class.
- I can state absent or late and the relevant day.
- I can understand what information or action is needed next.
Build the route
Before this lesson
After the absence report