retrasarme
/retɾasaɾme/from spelling rules
The English phrase "slow me down" can be translated into Spanish as retrasarme.
The phrase is used when something causes a person to take longer than expected to finish a task or reach a destination.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the verb retrasar, which means "to delay" or "to make late" and the enclitic pronoun -me, which means "me".
Which one should you use?
If a third-person subject (such as traffic or a specific task) is what is causing the delay, you should use the conjugated form me retrasa to mean "it slows me down".
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the infinitive form, the object pronoun me is attached to the end of the verb to form retrasarme.
How do you pronounce it?
/retɾasaɾme/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American countries, retrasado can be a very offensive slur referring to intellectual disability, making the reflexive use of retrasarme a safer choice in social contexts.
- While retrasarme is common, if you are physically slowed down by someone walking in front of you, a Spaniard might use frenarme, which literally means 'to brake me'.
- The word retraso is also the standard term for a 'developmental delay' in children, showing how the concept of being 'behind' spans from traffic to biology.
Examples in context
- No dejes que el tráfico me retrase.Don't let the traffic slow me down.
- El tráfico va a retrasarme mucho.The traffic is going to slow me down a lot.
- Espero que las dudas no vayan a retrasarme.I hope the doubts won't slow me down.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are discussing their commute to a meeting.
- ElenaMateo, ¿estás listo para irnos?Mateo, are you ready to go?
- MateoSí, pero no quiero retrasarme por el tráfico.Yes, but I don't want to be slowed down by the traffic.
- ElenaPodemos tomar un camino más corto.We can take a shorter route.
- MateoBuena idea, así no vamos a retrasarme.Good idea, that way we won't slow me down.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
