Translation guide
How to express leaving your seat in Japanese, depending on the situation: temporarily stepping away, standing up, or excusing yourself.
ちょっと席を外します。
I'll step away from my seat for a moment.
Most common and polite way to say you're leaving your seat temporarily.
You want to excuse yourself briefly and will return soon.
Polite and common phrase meaning 'to leave one's seat temporarily'. Implies you will come back. Often used with 失礼します (excuse me).
ちょっと席を外します。
I'll step away from my seat for a moment.
電話が鳴ったので、席を外しました。
My phone rang, so I left my seat.
Literally 'to stand up from one's seat'. Can be used for temporary leaving, but also for leaving permanently. Slightly more physical action nuance.
会議中に席を立つのは失礼です。
It's rude to leave your seat during a meeting.
Formal term for leaving in the middle of an event or meeting. Often used in business contexts.
急用のため、中座させていただきます。
I must excuse myself due to an urgent matter.
You physically rise from a chair or floor, without necessarily leaving the room.
General verb for 'to stand up'. Focuses on the action of rising.
彼は椅子から立ち上がった。
He stood up from his chair.
立ち上がって窓を開けた。
I stood up and opened the window.
Literally 'to raise one's hips'. A slightly more vivid or literary way to say 'stand up'.
You need to leave your seat politely, often with a set phrase.
Standard polite phrase used when leaving a seat, entering/exiting a room, or interrupting. Often combined with 席を外します.
（席を立つときに）失礼します。
(When leaving one's seat) Excuse me.
Used when leaving before others, e.g., leaving work or a gathering early.
今日はお先に失礼します。
I'll be leaving now (before you).
席を外す emphasizes the temporary absence and intention to return, while 席を立つ focuses on the physical action of standing up. In many casual situations, 席を立つ is also acceptable for temporary leaving.
ちょっと席を外します。すぐ戻ります。
I'll step away for a moment. I'll be right back.
彼は何も言わずに席を立った。
He stood up and left without saying anything.
Avoid directly translating 'leave one's seat' as 席を去る (せきをさる) or 席を離れる (せきをはなれる) in most contexts. These can sound unnatural or overly dramatic. Use the phrases above instead.
✕ 席を去る
Unnatural for temporary leaving
I finally got up and got ready to go out.