早退 and 欠席: leaving early and being absent
Compare early departure with absence, tracking whether someone attended first or was absent from the relevant session.
Leaving before the scheduled end
早退, read そうたい, means leaving work or class before the scheduled end. 午後の授業を早退しました。 says that someone left the afternoon class early.
体調が悪くなったので、早退して家に帰りました。 says that someone left early and went home because they began feeling unwell. The sequence places them there before departure.
Not attending a class or meeting
欠席, read けっせき, means absence from a class or meeting. 今日の会議は欠席します。 says that the speaker will not attend today's meeting.
欠席の理由を連絡しました。 says that the reason for absence was communicated. It does not identify the reason or establish how the recipient handled it.
The scope of a day or session
午前の授業には出ましたが、午後の授業は欠席しました。 says that morning classes were attended but afternoon classes were missed. Do not expand the absence to the entire day.
会議に出席して、途中で早退しました。 says that someone attended the meeting and left early partway through. This differs from absence from the meeting from the start.
Does 会議に出席して、途中で早退しました。 mean that the person never attended the meeting?
Show the answer and why
No. The person attended and then left early partway through.