Japanese word

無沙汰

Pronunciation

Romajibusata

Meaning

nounbeing out of touch

Example

祖母には長い間ご無沙汰しています。so bo ni wa naga i aida go bu sa ta shi te i ma su

I have not been in touch with my grandmother for a long time.

Illustration for 無沙汰 (being out of touch)

More examples

仕事が忙しく、友人への無沙汰を詫びました。shi goto ga isoga shi ku yū jin e no bu sa ta o wa bi ma shi ta

I apologized to my friend for being out of touch because I had been busy.

Core concept

It conveys the state of having no communication or news from someone for a considerable time.

Common phrases

ご無沙汰するgo bu sa ta su ru
be out of touch
無沙汰を詫びるbu sa ta o wa bi ru
apologize for being out of touch
無沙汰を重ねるbu sa ta o kasa ne ru
repeatedly fail to stay in touch

Similar words

音信不通onshinfutsū: A condition in which communication or news from someone has completely stopped.
疎遠soen: A condition in which people have little contact and their relationship grows distant.

Definition in Japanese

長い間、便りを送ったり訪ねたりせず、相手と連絡を取らないこと。naga i aida tayo ri o oku tta ri tazu ne ta ri se zu ai te to ren raku o to ra na i ko to

Word origin

Combines 無 (mu, "absence") with 沙汰 (sata, "news or communication"), giving the sense of having no news or contact.

Usage tips

The polite phrase ご無沙汰しています (go-busata shite imasu) is commonly used in greetings and emails after a long period without contact.

Other meanings

neglecting to writenoun

Related words

無沙汰するmusatasurube out of touchverb