You work at a Chinese company and suddenly wake up feeling sick. You want to send a message requesting leave, but you’re unsure whether to use 请假 or 休假, how to explain your situation clearly to your manager, or whether you need to mention your work arrangements.
These are common situations in the workplace. Instead of memorizing isolated vocabulary lists, this article will help you use Chinese to handle specific real-life situations.
1. Understanding Different Words Related to Taking Leave
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 请假 | qǐng jià | To request leave |
| 病假 | bìng jià | Sick leave |
| 事假 | shì jià | Personal leave |
| 年假 | nián jià | Annual leave |
| 休假 | xiū jià | To take time off, to be on leave |
| 请假申请 | qǐng jià shēn qǐng | Leave application or request |
| 批准 | pī zhǔn | To approve |
| 工作交接 | gōng zuò jiāo jiē | Work handover |
The key distinction is that 请假 emphasizes the act of requesting permission to be absent, while 病假 and 事假 refer to specific types of leave.
For example:
我想请一天病假。 / Wǒ xiǎng qǐng yì tiān bìng jià. / I would like to take one day of sick leave.
If you need to request time off for personal matters, you can use the expression 请事假.
2. When You’re Sick and Need to Take a Day Off
When requesting sick leave, it’s generally helpful to include three things: an explanation of your health condition, the amount of time you need off, and any necessary work handover arrangements.
For example:
您好，因身体不适，已咨询医生建议休息一天，希望能尽快恢复工作进度，对临时请假造成的不便深感抱歉。 / Nín hǎo, yīn shēn tǐ bú shì, yǐ zī xún yī shēng jiàn yì xiū xi yì tiān, xī wàng néng jǐn kuài huī fù gōng zuò jìn dù, duì lín shí qǐng jià zào chéng de bú biàn shēn gǎn bào qiàn. / Hello, I’m feeling unwell and have consulted a doctor, who recommended that I rest for one day. I hope to get back on track with my work as soon as possible, and I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by this unexpected leave request.
This is a relatively formal way of writing, suitable for official messages or written notices. When messaging a familiar manager on WeChat, you don’t necessarily need to write something this long.
The important thing is to mention a doctor’s recommendation only if you’ve actually received one. If you’re simply feeling unwell, you can use 身体不舒服 or 身体不适 without referring to medical advice.
3. Requesting Leave for an Urgent Family Matter
When you need time off for an urgent family matter, you can use the following expression:
因家中有急事需要回去处理 / Yīn jiā zhōng yǒu jí shì xū yào huí qù chǔ lǐ / Because there is an urgent family matter that I need to return home to handle.
This is a relatively formal expression, often suitable for written leave requests.
For a WeChat leave request, you can use a message such as:
领导您好，我是市场部的张三，因家中有急事需要处理，想请事假2天（10月8日至10月9日），工作已交接给李四，麻烦您批准，谢谢！ / Lǐng dǎo nín hǎo, wǒ shì shì chǎng bù de Zhāng Sān, yīn jiā zhōng yǒu jí shì xū yào chǔ lǐ, xiǎng qǐng shì jià liǎng tiān (shí yuè bā rì zhì shí yuè jiǔ rì), gōng zuò yǐ jiāo jiē gěi Lǐ Sì, má fan nín pī zhǔn, xiè xie! / Hello, Manager. I’m Zhang San from the Marketing Department. Due to an urgent family matter, I would like to request two days of personal leave (October 8–9). I have already handed over my work to Li Si. Please approve my request. Thank you!
This example demonstrates how to organize the information in a leave request: the sender, the reason, the duration, and the status of the work handover.
4. When You Need to Hand Over Work Before Taking Leave
An important expression when requesting leave in a Chinese workplace is 工作交接, meaning work handover.
When requesting time off, it’s helpful to explain whether your work has already been handed over and whether any arrangements need to be made.
For example:
因家中有急事需请假两天，已安排好工作交接。 / Yīn jiā zhōng yǒu jí shì xū qǐng jià liǎng tiān, yǐ ān pái hǎo gōng zuò jiāo jiē. / Due to an urgent family matter, I need to take two days off. I have already arranged the work handover.
Another useful expression is:
已将手头项目交接给同事A，确保进度不受影响。 / Yǐ jiāng shǒu tóu xiàng mù jiāo jiē gěi tóng shì A, què bǎo jìn dù bú shòu yǐng xiǎng. / I have handed over my current project to Colleague A to ensure that progress is not affected.
Three useful expressions to remember:
- 手头工作 / shǒu tóu gōng zuò / Work currently being handled
- 工作交接 / gōng zuò jiāo jiē / Work handover
- 不受影响 / bú shòu yǐng xiǎng / Not to be affected
These expressions are useful not only when requesting leave but also when transferring projects or handing over responsibilities.
5. Reporting a Late Arrival: Understanding 迟到 and 堵车
When reporting that you’ll be late, two important words are:
- 迟到 / chí dào / To arrive late
- 堵车 / dǔ chē / Traffic congestion
However, knowing these two words doesn’t mean there’s a single message template suitable for every workplace.
You can combine them in a sentence like this:
不好意思，路上堵车了，我可能会迟到十分钟。 / Bù hǎo yì si, lù shang dǔ chē le, wǒ kě néng huì chí dào shí fēn zhōng. / Sorry, there’s heavy traffic on the road, so I might be ten minutes late.
When reporting a late arrival, it’s best to provide an estimated arrival time if possible. If you’re unsure exactly when you’ll arrive, avoid promising a specific time that you may not be able to meet.
6. Important Things to Remember When Sending a Leave Request
Don’t Confuse Informing Someone with Asking for Permission
A message simply stating that you’ll be absent may not provide enough information for your manager to process your leave request.
A leave request should generally include the reason, the duration, and a clear request for approval.
You Don’t Have to Explain Every Personal Detail
You can use short expressions such as 身体不适 (feeling unwell) or 家中有急事 (an urgent family matter).
These expressions allow you to explain the reason for your absence without sharing unnecessary personal details.
A WeChat Message Doesn’t Always Complete the Leave Procedure
Some organizations require employees to complete a leave application form, provide supporting documents, or wait for formal approval.
Therefore, even after messaging your manager, you may still need to follow your company’s official leave procedures.
7. Practical Exercise
Use the expressions you’ve learned to write a Chinese message for the following situation:
You work at a Chinese company. Tomorrow, you need to take one day off because of an urgent family matter. You have already handed over your current work to a colleague.
Your message should include three pieces of information:
- The reason for requesting leave.
- The duration of your leave.
- The status of your work handover.
You can use the personal leave request and work handover expressions from the article to construct your message.
To request leave in Chinese, you don’t need to memorize dozens of sentences. Start by mastering 请假, 病假, 事假, and 工作交接, along with how to clearly explain your reason for taking leave and the duration of your absence.
The most important thing is to choose expressions that fit the situation. A short WeChat message, a face-to-face conversation with your manager, and a formal leave application may require different levels of formality.
Once you understand the vocabulary and sentence patterns used in workplace leave requests, you’ll be able to adapt them to your own circumstances instead of relying on a single memorized dialogue.
