How to say "missing" in Japanese

• 行方不明ゆくえふめいCommon
  no-adjectiveThe common word for a missing person: someone's whereabouts are unknown and they cannot be found. Typical of news reports on people unaccounted for after disasters, accidents, or disappearances.
  ３人にんが依然いぜん行方不明ゆくえふめいです。↗

  Three people are still missing.
• 欠測けっそく
  noun, suru verbMissing in the sense of absent data or observations, such as a reading that was not recorded. Not a word for missing people; outside data contexts it is seldom what you want.
• 行方知れずゆくえしれず
  expressionA less common equivalent of 行方不明: a person is lost and their whereabouts unknown. When you need this sense, 行方不明 is usually the word you want.
• 生死不明せいしふめい
  no-adjectiveA less common word for missing that stresses not knowing whether the person is dead or alive. It suits situations such as the aftermath of an accident, where a person's fate is unknown.

Use 行方不明 for a person whose whereabouts are unknown; 欠測 only for missing data or observations; 「行方知れず」 is a less common equivalent of 行方不明; 生死不明 stresses that it is unknown whether the person is alive or dead.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 行方不明ゆくえふめいmissing (of a person)
• 欠測けっそくmissing (data, observation, etc.)
• 行方知れずゆくえしれずmissing (of a person)
• 生死不明せいしふめいnot knowing whether someone is dead or alive