How to Say ‘I want (someone) to be absent.’ in Japanese
休ませたいです。
yasuma se tai desu
[yah-soo-mah seh tie dess]
💬 Usage Tip: Polite desire form. If you mean “will be absent,” try [休ませます] (We will keep them home).
🇯🇵 In Japan: When the absence is planned (family day, appointment), being straightforward reduces back-and-forth: [本日、欠席します] or [休ませます].
Phrase Breakdown
休ま
yasuma
[yah-soo-mah]
have (someone) rest; let (someone) take time off (stem)
Verb stem of 休む (to rest / to be absent). In 休ませたい, it combines with せる (causative) + たい (want to) to mean “I want to let [my child] be absent/rest.” Common in school absence calls.
明日、子どもを休ませたいです。
Tomorrow, I would like to have my child take the day off.
せ
se
[seh]
make/let (causative marker)
Part of the causative form (〜せる/〜させる). With 休ま + せる → 休ませる “to make/let someone rest (be absent).” In school context, it politely indicates the parent will keep the child home.
体調が悪いので休ませたいです。
Because they’re not feeling well, I’d like to have them take the day off.
たい
tai
[tie]
want to (do)
〜たい attaches to a verb stem to express the speaker’s desire: “want to do.” Here it expresses the parent’s intention/request: 休ませたい “(I) want to let them be absent.”
午後は早退させたいです。
I’d like to have them leave early in the afternoon.
です
desu
[dess]
is; polite copula
Polite sentence ending. With requests in calls, 〜です makes the tone formal and courteous (休ませたいです).
明日は欠席させたいです。
Tomorrow, I would like to have them be absent.
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