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不例 (ふれい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

不ふ例れい

ふ

れ

い

Meanings

1

noun

indisposition; sickness

Formal or literary term for being unwell; not used in casual conversation. Often appears in written or polite contexts.

本ほん日じつは不ふ例れいのため、欠けっ席せきさせていただきます。
I will be absent today due to indisposition.
ご不ふ例れいと伺うかがいましたが、その後ごいかがですか。
I heard you were unwell; how are you feeling now?

Written forms

不ふ例れいUsage64%
Rare kanji form; the word is typically written in kana.
ふれいUsage36%
Common kana spelling; the kanji form 不例 is rarely used.

Kanji

不negative, non-, bad
例

example, custom, usage

Similar words

病びょう気き
病気 is the general, everyday word for illness or sickness. 不例 is a formal, somewhat old-fashioned term for indisposition, often used in polite or written language.
体たい調ちょう不ふ良りょう
体調不良 is a common, neutral term for poor physical condition. 不例 is more formal and less direct, often implying a polite excuse.

Etymology

The word is composed of 不 (not) and 例 (usual, precedent), literally meaning 'not the usual state'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used in formal Japanese to refer to illness or indisposition.