afwezig

Afwezig is a Dutch adjective meaning not present or away from a place. It is used to describe people or things that are temporarily not in the expected location or context, such as a student not attending class or an employee not showing up for work. In everyday language it is common to contrast afwezig with aanwezig or aanwezig zijn, which means being present.

Etymology and form: afwezig is formed from the prefix af- (away, off) and wezig, the verb and adjective meaning present or being there. The related noun is afwezigheid, referring to the state or act of absence. In usage, afwezig can modify a noun (afwezige student), or stand alone in a status label (afwezig) in registers and rosters. If used in plural or with nouns, agreement follows Dutch grammar rules, and related phrases such as afwezig met bericht or afwezig zonder bericht describe whether the absence is with notice or without.

Contexts and usage: In education, attendance registers mark a pupil as afwezig to indicate non-attendance for a lesson. In the workplace or at meetings, participants may be listed as afwezig when they do not attend. In formal settings or forms, the term appears alongside synonyms like niet aanwezig or ontbrekend, though afwezig is the standard term in most Dutch-speaking regions. The term is neutral and widely understood, suitable for official documents, classroom communications, and everyday speech.

See also: aanwezig, ontbreken, afwezigheid, attendance.