離席
riseki
The Japanese phrase for "afk" is 離席 (riseki).
離席 is used to indicate that a person is temporarily away from their keyboard or computer. For a common status indicator meaning "currently away from seat", you can use 離席中 by adding the suffix 中.
What does it mean word for word?
離席 is composed of the verb 離れる (to leave or separate) and the noun 席 (seat), literally meaning "leaving one's seat".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
離席 is a formal or professional way to indicate that one is away from their desk, commonly used in business communication tools like Slack or Teams. For a more formal way to say "temporarily away from the seat", you can use 一時的に退席中. In contrast, if you want to be casual, you can say ちょっと用事 to mean you "have a little something to do" or use しばらく戻らない to indicate you "won't be back for a while".
How does it change in a sentence?
To announce that you are going AFK in a polite manner, you can use the verb form 離席します, which means "I am leaving my seat".
How do you pronounce it?
riseki
Did you know?
- In a professional setting, a person returning from 離席 will often apologize with お待たせしました, even if no one was actually waiting for them.
- In very formal environments, such as an official ceremony or a structured meeting, the specific term 中座 is used to describe leaving your seat before the event is finished.
- Japanese business etiquette generally requires that when you are 離席, you provide a specific estimated return time rather than just stating you are away.
Examples in context
- ちょっと離席します。Chotto riseki shimasu.I'm stepping away for a moment.
- 彼は今、離席しています。Kare wa ima, riseki shite imasu.He is currently away from his desk.
- 離席の際はチャットに残してください。Riseki no sai wa chatto ni nokoshite kudasai.Please leave a message in the chat when you step away.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are chatting online during work.
- 美咲 Misaki健太さん、今いいですか？Kenta-san, ima ii desu ka?Kenta, do you have a moment?
- 健太 Kentaすみません、今離席しています。Sumimasen, ima riseki shite imasu.Sorry, I'm AFK right now.
- 美咲 Misakiわかりました。戻ったら教えてください。Wakarimashita. Modottara oshiete kudasai.I understand. Please let me know when you're back.
- 健太 Kentaはい、すぐ戻りますね。Hai, sugu modorimasu ne.Yes, I'll be back soon.
