🚫🧑

How to Say ‘He's not in.’ in French

Il est absent.

eel eh ab-SAHN

[eel eh ab-SAHN]

💬 Usage Tip: Absent doesn't mean he's missing or skipping work. It's the normal way to say someone isn't at their desk right now. For a woman it becomes Elle est absente, and the final t is then pronounced.

Phrase Breakdown

[eel]

Third person singular subject pronoun.

Example

Il est heureux.

He is happy.

est

[eh]

Third person singular present of be.

Example

C'est important.

It is important.

absent

[ab-SAHN]

absent / out

Adjective meaning not present, e.g. not in the office.

Example

Le directeur est absent aujourd'hui.

The director is out today.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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