(ゆくえふめい)

ゆくえふめい
noun, na-adjective
missing, whereabouts unknown
1. missing, whereabouts unknown, unaccounted for
A state in which a person's location is unknown and they cannot be contacted. Frequently used in news reports about disasters, accidents, and missing persons cases.
息子(むすこ)行方不明(ゆくえふめい)になった。
My son has gone missing.
台風(たいふう)あと、まだ三人(さんにん)行方不明(ゆくえふめい)ままだ。
After the typhoon, three people are still unaccounted for.
The police are making a broad appeal for information about the missing woman.

Compound of 行方(ゆくえ) (whereabouts) + 不明(ふめい) (unknown). Functions as both a noun and a na-adjective. Extremely common in news reports about disasters, accidents, and missing persons.

Common collocations

  • 行方不明(ゆくえふめい)なる: to go missing
  • 行方不明(ゆくえふめい)(しゃ): missing person
  • 行方不明(ゆくえふめい)(とどけ): missing person report
  • 行方不明(ゆくえふめい)まま: still missing

Common patterns

  • As noun: 行方不明(ゆくえふめい)になった(ひと) (a person who went missing)
  • As na-adjective: 行方不明(ゆくえふめい)状態(じょうたい) (a state of being missing)

Related words