Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| по́здний | pózdnij |
| запозда́лый | zapozdályj |
In Russian, the way you express 'late' depends on whether you are describing a noun or an action. The adjective по́здний is used to describe something occurring late in a specific period, such as a late train or a late night. If you want to describe the timing of an action, such as 'It is late' or 'He arrived late', you must use the adverbial form по́здно.
Which one should you use?
There is a nuance between по́здний and запозда́лый. While по́здний refers to something occurring late within a period, запозда́лый is used for something that is belated or overdue, such as a belated apology or a late reaction.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective по́здний must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. For example, when modifying a feminine noun like 'night', you would use the feminine form по́здняя. To describe the timing of an event (the adverbial use), you must use по́здно rather than the adjective по́здний.
How do you pronounce it?
pózdnij
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the adjective по́здний when they intend to use the adverb по́здно to describe the timing of an action.
Did you know?
- If you want to tell someone 'You are late' in a direct way, Russians typically use the verb опа́здывать to describe the person's tardiness rather than just using an adjective.
- In Russian, the adverb по́здно can carry the weight of 'too late', implying that an opportunity has already been missed and cannot be recovered.
- The adjective запозда́лый is often used for things that are not just late, but specifically 'belated' in a way that suggests they are now useless, like a 'belated' apology.
Examples in context
- Я опоздал на встречуI was late for the meeting
- Извините, я вас заставил ждатьI apologize for making you wait
- Он пришел с опозданиемHe arrived with a delay
- Я опоздал на вечеринкуI was late for the party
- Я задержался на работеI was delayed at work
- по́здний у́жинLate supper/dinner
- Это был слишком по́здний час.Eto byl slishkom pózdniy chas.It was a very late hour.
- У меня был по́здний ужин.U menya byl pózdniy uzhin.I had a late dinner.
- Мне не нравится по́здний вечер.Mne ne nravitsya pózdniy vecher.I don't like the late evening.
Example conversation
Andrey and Maria are talking about their arrival at a party.
- Андрей AndreyТы пришла в по́здний час.Ty prishla v pozdniy chas.You arrived at a late hour.
- Мария MariaДа, я очень извиняюсь, Андрей.Da, ya ochen' izvinyayus', Andrey.Yes, I am very sorry, Andrey.
- Андрей AndreyНичего страшного, Мария.Nichego strashnogo, Mariya.It is okay, Maria.
- Мария MariaСпасибо за понимание.Spasibo za ponimaniye.Thank you for understanding.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “late” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
