absent
/ap.sɑ̃/
The English word "absent" is translated into French as absent.
Meaning: being away from a place (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, the form must agree in gender and number with the subject it describes. Use absent for a masculine singular subject, absente for a feminine singular subject, absents for a masculine plural subject and absentes for a feminine plural subject.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /ap.sɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- In French law, a person who has been absent for a long time without news may be legally declared absent, which triggers specific rules for managing their estate.
- While absent describes being away, French uses the phrase être dans la lune to describe someone who is mentally absent or daydreaming.
- French has a distinct nuance where être absent is more formal than saying someone is pas là, which literally means 'not there'.
Examples in context
- Qui est absent ?Who is absent?This sentence is useful for asking who is currently absent.Tatoeba #575516 by sacredceltic, translation #19824 by CK
- Il a été absent.He was absent.This sentence shows the use of the word with the past tense to say someone has been absent.Tatoeba #2901892 by Amastan, translation #8477128 by CH
- Tom était absent hier.Tom was absent yesterday.This sentence demonstrates using the word to describe someone who was absent in the past.Tatoeba #5364001 by Aiji, translation #3689986 by karloelkebekio
- Je serai absent demain pour raisons personnelles.I will be absent tomorrow for personal reasons.
- Il n'est pas là aujourd'hui, il est malade.He's not here today, he's sick.
- 143 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are talking about a colleague at the office.
- LucasEst-ce que Marc est absent aujourd'hui ?Is Marc absent today?
- ManonOui, il est absent de la réunion.Yes, he is absent from the meeting.
- LucasC'est dommage, il devait présenter son projet.That's a shame, he was supposed to present his project.
- ManonIl m'a dit qu'il était malade.He told me he was sick.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “absent” translations and entries absent, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
