disculpe la demora
/diskulpe la demoɾa/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I apologize for the delay" can be expressed as disculpe la demora.
This phrase is a polite way to express regret for making someone wait or for a late response.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of disculpe (excuse/forgive), la (the) and demora (delay).
Which one should you use?
While disculpe la demora uses the formal usted form, you should use disculpa la demora to use the informal tú form when speaking to a friend or peer.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Disculpe la demora is a formal and concise expression appropriate for professional or polite settings because it uses the usted imperative. For a more formal approach, you can say Le pido disculpas por la tardanza, which means "I ask for your apologies for the delay". If you are in an informal situation, you can use Perdón por la tardanza.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun demora is a feminine noun, which is why the definite article la is used.
Did you know?
- The word demora is a distant relative of the Italian word dimora, which refers to a place where one lives or dwells.
- Spanish distinguishes between disculpar and perdonar, where disculpar is often for minor social lapses like a delay, while perdonar is used for deeper offenses or asking for forgiveness.
- While disculpa translates to 'excuse' or 'forgive', it is often used in Spanish to simply get someone's attention, similar to 'excuse me' when passing through a crowd.
Examples in context
- Disculpe la demora, señor.Sorry for the delay, sir/mister
- Disculpe la demora, estamos realizando mejoras en nuestro servicio para agilizar futuros procesos.Sorry for the delay, we are making improvements in our service to streamline future processes.
- Entendemos que la demora le ha causado inconvenientes y le ofrecemos nuestras disculpasWe understand that the delay has caused inconvenience, and we apologize
- Disculpe la demora en mi respuesta.I apologize for the delay in my response.
- Disculpe la demora, el tráfico estaba terrible.I apologize for the delay, the traffic was terrible.
- Disculpe la demora con su pedido.I apologize for the delay with your order.
Example conversation
Daniel arrives late to a business meeting with María.
- DanielMaría, disculpe la demora.María, I apologize for the delay.
- MaríaNo se preocupe, Daniel.Do not worry, Daniel.
- Daniel¿Podemos empezar la reunión ahora?Can we start the meeting now?
- MaríaSí, por supuesto.Yes, of course.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries demora, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
