What does it mean word for word?
Entschuldigung means excuse or apology, für means for and die Verspätung means the lateness or the delay.
Which one should you use?
On its own, Entschuldigung is often used to get someone's attention, like excuse me. Adding für die Verspätung makes clear what you are apologizing for. Verzeihung für die Verspätung says the same thing in a slightly more elevated way, but it is less common.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
With friends or colleagues, Tut mir leid, dass ich zu spät bin sounds more personal and is more common. In professional settings or with strangers, Bitte entschuldigen Sie die Verspätung is more formal and polite.
How does it change in a sentence?
Verspätung is a feminine noun, which is why it takes the article die. To say that you arrived late, use the full sentence Tut mir leid, dass ich zu spät gekommen bin.
How do you pronounce it?
In IPA it is /ɛntˈʃʊldiɡʊŋ fyːɐ̯ diː fɛɐ̯ˈʃpɛːtʊŋ/. The stress falls on the second syllable of both long words.
Did you know?
- The word Schuld inside Entschuldigung means both 'guilt' and 'debt', so apologizing for being late is linguistically like asking to be released from a financial obligation.
- The prefix ver- in Verspätung is a common German linguistic tool used to signal that an error has occurred or a state has changed for the worse.
- Until the 18th century, the word für was often used interchangeably with vor when describing location.
Examples in context
- Entschuldigung für die Verspätung, der Bus kam nicht.Sorry for being late, the bus did not come.
- Entschuldigung für die Verspätung, ich habe den Schlüssel gesucht.Sorry for being late, I was looking for the key.
Example conversation
Maximilian arrives late to a meeting with Hannah.
- MaximilianHallo Hannah, Entschuldigung für die Verspätung.Hello Hannah, sorry for being late.
- HannahKein Problem, Maximilian. Was ist passiert?No problem, Maximilian. What happened?
- MaximilianMein Bus hatte leider eine Störung.Unfortunately, my bus had a breakdown.
- HannahAlles gut, setzen wir uns einfach hin.All good, let's just sit down.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (Entschuldigung, für, die, Verspätung) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Entschuldigung, Verspätung, die, für, CC BY-SA 4.0.
