Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Absent; not present: Describes a person or persons who are not in a place where they are expected or required to be, such as a meeting, class, or event.

2. Verb (to be absent):

   • To be absent: The act of not being present at a required or expected place or event. It functions as a stative verb describing a state of non-attendance.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Có ba học sinh vắng mặt hôm nay. (There are three absent students today.)
  • Danh sách những người vắng mặt đã được ghi lại. (The list of absent persons has been recorded.)

• Verb:

  • Anh ấy vắng mặt trong buổi họp quan trọng. (He was absent from the important meeting.)
  • Cô ấy không thể vắng mặt vào ngày đó. (She cannot be absent on that day.)

Advanced Usage

• Legal/Judicial Context: Used formally to indicate a party's failure to appear in court.
  • Bị đơn đã vắng mặt tại phiên tòa. (The defendant was absent from the court session.)
  • Bản án được tuyên vắng mặt. (The judgment was issued in absentia.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sự vắng mặt (n): Absence; the state of being absent.

  • Sự vắng mặt của anh ấy được mọi người chú ý. (His absence was noticed by everyone.)

• Nghỉ vắng mặt (v): To take an unauthorized or unexplained absence.

  • Nhân viên đó bị khiển trách vì nghỉ vắng mặt không phép. (That employee was reprimanded for taking an unauthorized absence.)

Synonyms

• Absent: Not present.
• Missing: Not in the expected place.
• Away: At a distance from a place.

Related Idioms

• Vắng mặt giữa đám đông: To be physically present but mentally or emotionally absent; to be distant in a crowd.
  • Dù ở bữa tiệc, cô ấy trông vắng mặt giữa đám đông. (Even at the party, she seemed absent in the crowd.)