spät
/ʃpɛːt/
The German word for late is spät.
spät is used as an adjective to describe something that is not arriving until after an expected time, or as an adverb to describe an action occurring past a designated time.
Meaning: not arriving until after an expected time (adj)
Which one should you use?
spät functions as both an adjective (describing a noun) and an adverb (describing an action). While spät is used for general lateness, the word verspätet is used specifically to describe being late due to a delay in a schedule, such as with transport.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Bavaria and Austria, the phrase z'spät dran sein is commonly used in informal speech to mean being late.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The comparative form of spät is später (later), and the superlative form is am spätesten (the latest).
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃpɛːt/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using spät to describe scheduled transport like trains or planes being late. Instead, use the word verspätet to indicate they are delayed.
Did you know?
- The word spät is a distant relative of the English word 'speed'. Both share a common root in the Proto-Germanic word *spēdiz, which originally related to success or prosperity rather than velocity.
- German speakers use the word spät to describe the 'late' stages of pregnancy, but they use the term überfällig to say a baby is 'late' or overdue.
- The word spät is used in the phrase zu spät sein, but when someone is habitually late, Germans might describe them as unpünktlich, which means 'un-punctual'.
Examples in context
- Es ist zu spät.It is too late.This sentence is useful for using the word spät.Tatoeba #851592 by Esperantostern, translation #456133 by lukaszpp
- Es war zu spät.It was too late.Tatoeba #2153022 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1235569 by Eldad
- Er kam spät an.He arrived late.Tatoeba #2309291 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2266051 by _undertoad
- Entschuldigen Sie die Verspätung. Die U-Bahn hatte Störungen.I apologize for the delay. The subway had disruptions.
- Leider sind Sie zu spät gekommen. Die Veranstaltung hat bereits begonnen.Unfortunately, you have arrived late. The event has already started.
- Hey, tut mir leid, ich bin spät dran. Kannst du noch ein paar Minuten warten?Hey, sorry, I'm running late. Can you wait a few more minutes?
- Wir sind gestern leider zu spät zur Party gekommen.Unfortunately, we arrived late for the party yesterday.
- Mensch, du hast dich wieder mal verspätet. Wann lernst du es, pünktlich zu sein?Man, you've been late again. When will you learn to be punctual?
- 1348 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Laura are waiting for a friend at a cafe.
- LukasWarum ist er heute so spät?Why is he so late today?
- LauraEr hat wohl den Bus verpasst.He probably missed the bus.
- LukasIch hoffe, er kommt bald.I hope he arrives soon.
- LauraJa, er ist fast immer spät.Yes, he is almost always late.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry spät, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries spät, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
