Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| più tardi | /ˈpju ˈtar.di/ (word by word) |
| dopo | /ˈdo.po/ /ˈdɔ.po/ |
più tardi is an adverb used to refer to a point in time that is later than the present or a time that has already been mentioned.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, più tardi means "more late", where più means "more" and tardi means "late" or "late in the day".
Which one should you use?
While più tardi emphasizes a specific later point in time, dopo is often used to mean "afterward" in a more general sense. If you want to describe something that is coming afterward in time, you would use the adjective posteriore.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
{'ipa': '/ˈpju ˈtar.di/', 'syllables': 3, 'stressed_syllable': '1 of 3'}
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use più tardi to mean "more late" in the sense of being behind schedule. Use più in ritardo instead.
When do people say it?
The phrase a più tardi is a common idiomatic way to say "see you later" when you expect to see the person again later on the same day.
Did you know?
- If an Italian says più tardi to postpone a meeting, they may be using it as a polite social 'buffer' rather than a firm commitment to a new time.
- The word tardi comes from the Latin word tardē, which is the direct ancestor of the English word 'tardy'.
- While più tardi refers to time, the adjective posteriore is used for things that are physically located behind something else, as well as things that happen later.
Examples in context
- Beh, a più tardi.Well, see you later.Tatoeba #3050280 by Guybrush88, translation #39363 by CM
- A più tardi, Tom.See you later, Tom.Tatoeba #5486297 by Guybrush88, translation #2648052 by CK
- Lo farò più tardi.I'll do that later.Tatoeba #2566592 by Guybrush88, translation #2548791 by CK
- Ci vediamo più tardi al cinema!We'll meet up later at the movies!
- 703 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia are at a café deciding when to meet again.
- FrancescoCi vediamo più tardi per un caffè?Shall we see each other later for a coffee?
- GiuliaSì, mi farebbe molto piacere.Yes, I would love to.
- FrancescoTi scrivo un messaggio tra un'ora.I'll text you in an hour.
- GiuliaPerfetto, aspetto il tuo messaggio.Perfect, I'll wait for your message.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “later” translations and entries dopo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (più, tardi) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dopo, più, tardi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
