retard
/ʁə.taʁ/
To delay (verb) in French is retard.
The word retard is used to describe a delay that has already occurred. When you want to describe a person or a thing as being 'late' (in a state of delay), you should use the adverbial phrase en retard.
Meaning: to put off until a later time (verb)
Which one should you use?
While both words can be translated as delay in English, they have distinct meanings in French. retard refers to a delay that has already happened (being late). In contrast, délai refers to the amount of time allowed or a deadline.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun retard (a delay) is derived from the verb retarder, which means to delay or to slow down.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁə.taʁ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use délai when you mean 'a delay' (as in a postponement). In French, un délai usually means a period of time granted to complete a task or a deadline.
Did you know?
- In French, the term retard is a common, everyday noun used for lateness, lacking the highly offensive social connotations that the cognate 'retard' carries in English.
- The verb retarder can also mean to 'set back' a clock, such as moving the hands back one hour during the transition from daylight savings time.
- The French language uses retard for everything from a late train to a child's developmental progress, using avoir du retard to describe someone falling behind their peers.
Examples in context
- Je m'excuse pour le retard.I apologize for the delay.This sentence is useful for apologizing for the retard.Tatoeba #5599870 by Aiji, translation #1392467 by Shishir
- Le retard était inévitable.The delay was unavoidable.This sentence describes an unavoidable retard.Tatoeba #6545519 by Aiji, translation #2953341 by CK
- Nous avons eu un léger retard.We had a slight delay.This sentence describes a slight retard.Tatoeba #7862779 by Aiji, translation #3313101 by CK
- Nous vous prions de nous excuser pour le retard de livraison.We apologize for the delay in delivery.
- J'ai besoin d'un délai supplémentaire pour compléter le projet.I need additional time to complete the project.
- Désolé pour l'attente, mon train avait du retard.Sorry for the delay, my train was running late.
- Il y a un ralentissement sur l'autoroute, on est en retard.There's a traffic slowdown on the highway, we're running late.
- Je m'excuse sincèrement pour le retard dans ma réponse.I sincerely apologize for the delay in my response.
- Ce changement de vol entraînera un léger retard dans votre arrivée à destination.This flight change will result in a slight delay in your arrival at your destination.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are discussing a project deadline.
- NathanOn doit retarder la réunion à demain.We have to delay the meeting until tomorrow.
- EmmaPourquoi veux-tu retarder le rendez-vous ?Why do you want to delay the appointment?
- NathanJe n'ai pas encore fini le rapport.I haven't finished the report yet.
- EmmaD'accord, on peut retarder l'heure.Okay, we can delay the time.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry retard, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
