llego tarde
/ʝeɡo taɾde/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I am late" is expressed in Spanish as llego tarde.
This phrase is used to communicate that you are arriving after a scheduled or expected time.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, llego tarde translates to "I arrive late."
Which one should you use?
The phrase llego tarde focuses on the act of arriving late. In contrast, if you want to describe the state of being behind schedule or running late, you would use estoy atrasado/a.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase llego tarde uses the first-person singular present indicative of the verb llegar (to arrive).
How do you pronounce it?
/ʝeɡo taɾde/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying soy tarde. This is a common mistake made by English speakers who translate "I am" literally. Instead, use the verb llegar (to arrive) as in llego tarde or use the verb estar (to be) with atrasado/a.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, arriving exactly at the scheduled time for a party might actually be considered impolite. Being slightly tarde is often the social norm to allow the host time to prepare.
- The word tarde serves a double purpose in Spanish, meaning both 'late' and 'afternoon'. For example, buenas tardes is the standard greeting for the 'good afternoon' period of the day.
- The word tarde comes from the Latin 'tardē', making it a distant cousin to the English word 'tardy'.
Examples in context
- ¡Perdón por llegar tarde, profesora! Hubo un problema con el tráfico.Sorry for being late, teacher! There was a traffic problem.
- No te preocupes, María. Yo también me retrasé un poco.Don't worry, María. I'm running a bit late too.
- Perdón, siempre llego tarde.Sorry, I am always late.
- Llego tarde por el tráfico.I am late because of the traffic.
- Si no salgo ya, llego tarde.If I don't leave now, I will be late.
Example conversation
Mateo is calling Sofía to explain why he is not at the restaurant yet.
- MateoSofía, lo siento, llego tarde.Sofía, I'm sorry, I am late.
- Sofía¿Qué pasó, Mateo?What happened, Mateo?
- MateoEl autobús no pasó.The bus didn't come.
- SofíaEstá bien, te espero.It's okay, I'll wait for you.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tarde, CC BY-SA 4.0.
