Japanese word

無断

Pronunciation

Romajimudan

Meaning

  • nounwithout permission

Example

彼は無断で会社を休みました。kare wa mu dan de gai sha o yasu mi ma shi ta

He took a day off work without permission.

Illustration for 無断 (without permission)

More examples

彼は無断で資料をコピーしました。kare wa mu dan de shi ryō o ko pī shi ma shi ta

He copied the materials without permission.

Core concept

It marks an action taken while the person who should have been asked has had no chance to agree.

Common phrases

  • 無断で休むmu dan de yasu mu

    take time off without permission

  • 無断で欠席するmu dan de kes seki su ru

    be absent without permission

  • 無断で立ち入るmu dan de ta chi i ru

    enter without permission

Similar words

無許可mukyoka: A state in which an action is taken without official permission.
勝手katte: A manner of doing things as one wishes, without regard for another person's permission or plans.

Definition in Japanese

あらかじめ許可を求めずに物事を行うこと。a ra ka ji me kyo ka o moto me zu ni mono goto o okona u ko to

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 無断 (mudan) combines 無 (mu, "without") and 断 (dan, "consent"), giving the sense of acting without consent.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, 無断で (mudan de) sounds more formal and more accusatory than 勝手に (katte ni), so it commonly appears in workplace complaints and posted rules.

Opposites

Word lists with this word