Spanish · Justificar faltas
Your child is ill and you phone the school: what to say in Spanish
Your child is ill and you phone the school.
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How it's done. The absence (falta) is reported to the teacher in the morning: by phone, app or note; the written explanation (justificante) is brought when the child returns.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
THEY SPEAK FIRST
THEY SAY
Colegio San José, buenos días.Koh-LEH-khyoh Sahn Khoh-SEH, boo-EH-nos DEE-uhs.
San José school, good morning.
YOU REPLY
Buenos días, llamo por mi hija Olena, de tercero B. Hoy no va a ir porque está enferma.
Boo-EH-nos DEE-uhs, YAH-moh por mee EE-khuh Oh-LEH-nuh, deh tehr-SEH-roh Beh. Oy noh bah uh eer POR-keh es-TAH ayn-FEHR-muh.
Good morning, I'm calling about my daughter Olena in third B. She won't come today because she's ill.
THEY SAY
Gracias por avisar. ¿Qué le pasa?GRAH-syuhs por uh-bee-SAHR. Keh leh PAH-suh?
Thanks for letting us know. What's wrong?
They might also say:
Muy bien, tomo nota. ¿Qué le ocurre?
Mooy byayn, TOH-moh NOH-tuh. Keh leh oh-KOOR-reh?
Very well, I'll make a note. What's the matter?
2
YOU REPLY
Tiene fiebre y dolor de garganta.
TYEH-neh FYEH-breh ee doh-LOR deh guhr-GAHN-tuh.
She has a fever and a sore throat.
THEY SAY
Que se mejore. Hasta pronto.Keh seh meh-KHOH-reh. AHS-tuh PROHN-toh.
Get well soon. Goodbye.
3
YOU FINISH
Gracias. Hasta pronto.
GRAH-syuhs. AHS-tuh PROHN-toh.
Thanks. See you soon.
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “Spanish for life in Spain”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Colegio
Koh-LEH-khyoh
noun
school
San
Sahn
adjective
saint (before a name)
buenos
boo-EH-nos
adjective
good (masc. plural)
días
DEE-uhs
noun
days
llamo
YAH-moh
verb
I call
hija
EE-khuh
noun
daughter
29 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
¿Puede repetirlo, por favor?
Poo-EH-deh reh-peh-TEER-loh, por fuh-BOR?
Can you repeat that, please?
¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor?
Poo-EH-deh uh-BLAHR mahs des-PAH-syoh, por fuh-BOR?
Can you speak more slowly, please?
Todavía no hablo bien español.
Toh-duh-BEE-uh noh AH-bloh byayn es-puh-NYOL.
I don't speak Spanish well yet.
Similar situations
You bring a note explaining an absenceJustificar faltas · A2 in the app
→You ask for your child to be let out earlyJustificar faltas · A2 in the app
→You are told your child has many absencesJustificar faltas · B1 in the app
→You say your child will miss school because of a tripJustificar faltas · A2 in the app
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