Translation guide
How to express leaving your seat in Japanese, depending on the situation: temporarily stepping away, standing up, or excusing yourself.
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).
I'll step away from my seat for a moment.
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.
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.
I must excuse myself due to an urgent matter.
You physically rise from a chair or floor, without necessarily leaving the room.
You need to leave your seat politely, often with a set phrase.
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.
I'll step away for a moment. I'll be right back.
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.
Unnatural for temporary leaving
I stood up and opened the window.
I finally got up and got ready to go out.