je suis en retard
In French, "I am late" is expressed as je suis en retard.
This phrase is used to indicate that someone has not arrived at a scheduled time.
What does it mean word for word?
The component en retard literally means "in delay" or "behind".
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the infinitive "to be late", use the verb être followed by en retard.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying je suis tard when you mean you are late. This is a common error made by translating the English word "late" directly. In French, tard is an adverb used for time (for example, in il est tard to mean "it is late") and cannot be used with je suis to describe a person being late.
Did you know?
- While je suis en retard means you are late for an appointment, the phrase je suis en retard is also used by pregnant women to say their baby is overdue.
- In France, the concept of le quart d'heure de politesse allows a person to arrive up to fifteen minutes late to a social gathering without being considered rude.
- If a train is late, a French speaker describes it as en retard, but a person who is chronically late might be called a retardataire.
Examples in context
- Désolé, je suis en retard.Sorry, I am late.This sentence is useful for apologizing when you are late using je suis en retard.Tatoeba #5552215 by sacredceltic, translation #3070346 by DostKaplan
- Si je suis en retard, ne m'attends pas.In case I am late, you don't have to wait for me.This sentence is useful for expressing a conditional situation regarding je suis en retard.Tatoeba #1261532 by sacredceltic, translation #30800 by DuosDragonPolyglot
- Bonjour, excusez-moi de mon retard. J'ai été pris dans les embouteillages.Hello, excuse me for my delay. I got caught in traffic.
- Salut, je suis à la bourre. Désolé(e), j'ai oublié de marquer cette réunion dans mon agenda.Hi, I'm running late. Sorry, I forgot to mark this meeting in my calendar.
- Je suis en retard pour mon rendez-vous.I am late for my appointment.
Example conversation
Lucas is calling Léa to explain why he is not at their meeting.
- LucasDésolé Léa, je suis en retard.Sorry Léa, I am late.
- LéaCe n'est pas grave, Lucas.It is not a problem, Lucas.
- LucasJe vais arriver dans dix minutes.I will arrive in ten minutes.
- LéaD'accord, je t'attends ici.Okay, I am waiting for you here.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
