Chinese phrase
迟到算缺席吗？ chí dào suàn quē xí ma
Meaning
Does being late count as an absence?
When to use it
Asks whether arriving late is treated as being absent. It is a neutral way to check an attendance rule, especially in classes or other scheduled activities.
Example dialogue
我下周可能晚到，迟到算缺席吗？ wǒ xià zhōu kě néng wǎn dào chí dào suàn quē xí ma
I might be late next week. Does being late count as an absence?
一般迟到超过十五分钟会算缺席，但要看任课老师的规定。 yì bān chí dào chāo guò shí wǔ fēn zhōng huì suàn quē xí dàn yào kàn rèn kè lǎo shī de guī dìng
Usually, being more than 15 minutes late counts as an absence, but it depends on the instructor's rules.