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ausente

/ow-SEN-teh/

absent

An empty wooden chair at a dinner table with a full plate of food.

An empty chair at a table shows someone is ausente (absent).

ausente(adjective)

m or fA2

absent

?

not present in a specific place

Also:

missing

?

not there when expected

📝 In Action

Tres estudiantes están ausentes hoy.

A1

Three students are absent today.

Mi padre estuvo ausente durante gran parte de mi infancia.

B1

My father was away during much of my childhood.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • faltante (missing)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • estar ausente – to be absent
  • dar por ausente – to mark as absent

💡 Grammar Points

One word for everyone

This word doesn't change based on gender. You can use it for both men and women without changing the ending.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Choosing the right 'to be'

Mistake: "Soy ausente."

Correction: Estoy ausente. Use 'estar' because being absent is usually a temporary state, not a permanent personality trait.

⭐ Usage Tips

Making it plural

When talking about more than one person, simply add an 's' to make it 'ausentes'.

A child staring out a window with a dreamy expression while holding a paintbrush.

A person can be ausente (distracted) when their mind is somewhere else.

ausente(adjective)

m or fB2

distracted

?

mentally not present

Also:

distant

?

lost in thought

📝 In Action

Tenía una mirada ausente y no me escuchaba.

B2

He had a distant look and wasn't listening to me.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • distraído (distracted)
  • ensimismado (lost in thought)

Antonyms

  • atento (attentive)
  • concentrado (focused)
A row of colorful coats on hooks with one empty hook in the middle.

The missing coat represents an ausente (absentee) who is not there.

ausente(noun)

m or fC1

absentee

?

a person who is not present

📝 In Action

Brindemos por los ausentes.

B2

Let's toast to those who are not here (the absentees).

La lista de ausentes fue enviada al director.

C1

The list of absentees was sent to the director.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: ausente

Question 1 of 2

Which verb do you usually use with 'ausente' to say someone isn't in class?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

ausencia(absence) - noun
ausentarse(to leave / to absent oneself) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'ausente' change to 'ausenta' for women?

No! Adjectives ending in -e in Spanish usually stay the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. You just say 'el chico ausente' and 'la chica ausente'.

How do I say 'I was absent'?

You would say 'Estuve ausente' (for a specific event in the past) or 'Estaba ausente' (describing a general state in the past).