早退をする

Grammatically, this is a 'suru-verb' combo. 早退 is the noun, and する is the action. You’ll often hear it as 早退します (I will leave early) or 早退させてください (Please let me leave early). If you’re feeling polite—which you should be when leaving work—you might say 早退させていただきます. This literally translates to 'I will receive the favor of leaving early.' It sounds fancy because it is. You can also use it at school. If a student feels sick, the teacher might say, 早退したほうがいいですよ (You should leave early). Pro tip: always give a reason. Just saying 早退します without a 'why' is like leaving a group chat without an emoji—people will wonder if they offended you. Keep it simple: 風邪なので、早退をします (I have a cold, so I’ll leave early).

Picture a modern office in Tokyo. You’re on a Slack channel. You type: すみません、体調が悪いので早退をします (Sorry, I’m not feeling well, so I’m leaving early). Your boss replies with a 'Get Well' stamp. Or, imagine a parent calling a school. 子供が熱を出したので、早退をさせます (My kid has a fever, so I’m having them leave early). Even in the world of remote work, people use this. If your internet dies during a Zoom call and you give up for the day, you might text your team: ネットの調子が悪いので、今日は早退します (The net is bad, so I’m signing off early today). It’s the ultimate 'I'm out' button for adults. Just don't use it too often, or your coworkers might think you've joined a secret underground early-exit club.

Use this when the clock is still ticking on your official hours. Common scenarios include: medical appointments, family emergencies, or suddenly feeling like your brain has turned into mush. It’s perfectly acceptable if you have a valid excuse. In fact, in Japan, leaving early to go to the doctor is seen as responsible—it means you’re taking care of yourself so you can work harder tomorrow. You can also use it if you’ve finished all your work and your boss is a 'cool' boss who lets people go early. However, that’s as rare as a quiet Shibuya crossing. Most of the time, it’s for necessities. If you're an influencer filming a 'Day in the Life' video, you might use it to explain why you're at the park at 2:00 PM on a Tuesday.

Don't use 早退 for social events. If you’re at a friend's birthday party and want to leave at 9:00 PM, do NOT say 早退します. Your friends will look at you like you just tried to file a tax return at a bar. For social exits, use お先に失礼します (Excuse me for leaving first) or 先に帰るね (I'm heading home first). Also, don't use it for leaving a store or a restaurant. You can't 'leave a cafe early' because there’s no scheduled time you’re supposed to stay there. Unless you’re an employee at the cafe, then go ahead and 早退 all you want! Finally, don't use it if the workday is already over. If it's 6:01 PM and you leave, that's just 退社 (leaving the office).

Learners often mix this up with 早く帰る (returning home early). While they mean similar things, 早退 is specifically about the 'leaving the duty' part.

Another mistake is forgetting the を. While 早退する is fine and common, 早退をする is slightly more deliberate. Using 早退 for a lunch break is also a no-go. That's just 休憩 (break). If you tell your boss you're 'early withdrawing' for lunch, they might think you're quitting your job for a sandwich.

If you're looking for alternatives, 早上がり (haya-agari) is a popular one, especially in part-time jobs (baito). It’s a bit more casual. If you work at a convenience store and the manager says you can go home early because it's quiet, that’s 早上がり. Then there’s 中座する (chuuza suru). This means to step out in the middle of a meeting or a formal event with the intention of coming back, or just leaving the 'seat' specifically. It’s much more formal and specific to gatherings. For students, there's 早退け (hayabake), which is a slightly older or more regional way to say the same thing. Stick to 早退 for 99% of your life; it’s the 'safe bet' that works everywhere from a construction site to a tech startup.

In professional settings, you’ll encounter the 早退届 (soutai-todoke). This is the 'Early Departure Form.' Yes, Japan loves forms. If you’re in a traditional company, you might have to fill one out. On Slack or Teams, you might see 早退させていただきます (I will take the liberty of leaving early). If you’re talking to a friend about a coworker, you might say 彼は早退したみたい (It looks like he left early). You might also hear 早退理由 (reason for leaving early). This is the part where you explain that your cat is lonely or your sink exploded. In a school setting, 早退届 is often signed by parents. It’s the paper trail of your freedom.

Is 早退 polite? Yes, it’s a standard neutral-to-formal term.

Can I use it with my boss? Absolutely, just add ます or the humble させていただきます.

Is it okay to use for a mental health day? In modern companies, yes, though people often just say 体調不良 (poor health).

What if I leave only 5 minutes early? Technically it's still 早退, but usually people just call that 'beating the traffic.'

Do I need a doctor's note? In some traditional Japanese companies, yes, if it's for an illness. For most, just a message is fine.

Can I use it for leaving a zoom call? Yes, if the call was supposed to last longer and you're the one dropping out early.