abwesend
absent
Not being present at a specific place; missing.
EXAMPLE
Der Angeklagte war bei der Urteilsverkündung abwesend.
The defendant was absent at the announcement of the verdict.
abwesend
absent
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Meanings
abwesend
absent-minded
Not mentally focused on the matter at hand; lost in thought and inattentive.
EXAMPLE
Er nickte zwar, wirkte aber während des ganzen Gesprächs irgendwie abwesend.
He nodded, but somehow seemed absent-minded throughout the whole conversation.
Usage tips
Word family
'Abwesend' (absent) is the direct opposite of 'anwesend' (present). The prefix 'ab-' means 'away', while 'an-' describes presence at a place. The word stem '-wesend' is an old form related to 'sein' (to be).
EXAMPLE
Alle Schüler waren heute im Unterricht anwesend.
All students were present in class today.
Use with preposition
When naming the place or event where someone is missing, the preposition 'bei' (+ dative) is often used. For example, someone is 'bei einer Sitzung abwesend' (absent from a meeting).
EXAMPLE
Leider war sie bei der wichtigen Besprechung krankheitsbedingt abwesend.
Unfortunately, she was absent from the important meeting due to illness.
Context clue
The meaning 'not mentally focused on the matter at hand' can often be recognized from verbs like 'wirken' (to seem), 'scheinen' (to seem), or 'aussehen' (to look). The sentence then describes not where a person is, but how they behave in a situation.
EXAMPLE
Er starrte aus dem Fenster und wirkte völlig abwesend.
He stared out the window and seemed completely absent-minded.
Compare with
abwesend vs fehlend
missing
When referring to people, fehlend and abwesend can both express that someone is not there. Abwesend describes only this state. Fehlend additionally emphasizes that the person is expected or needed in the situation.
abwesend
Die Vorsitzende ist heute bei der Sitzung abwesend.
The chairwoman is absent from today's meeting.
fehlend
Wegen der fehlenden Vorsitzenden muss die wichtige Abstimmung warten.
Because the chairwoman is missing, the important vote has to wait.
In real life
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