What does it mean word for word?
The phrase la tardanza literally means "the lateness" or "the delay", which is derived from the verb tardar (to be late/to take time).
Which one should you use?
While perdón por la tardanza is a standard way to apologize, you can use the more colloquial perdón por tardar to say "sorry for taking so long" by using the verb instead of the noun. For a more professional tone, disculpe la demora (excuse the delay) is a common alternative.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several formal alternatives depending on the situation. Use Disculpe mi retraso, Lamento mucho el retraso que he tenido or Me disculpo por la tardanza for formal settings. In professional environments or customer service, disculpe la demora is also frequently used. For a more informal or colloquial tone, you can say perdón por tardar.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the feminine noun tardanza, so the definite article must be la rather than el.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾdon poɾ la taɾdanθa/
Did you know?
- The word perdón shares a root with the English word 'donation'. Both come from the Latin 'donum', because forgiving someone was historically viewed as giving them a gift of mercy.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the concept of 'time' is often perceived more flexibly than in English-speaking cultures. Because of this, using perdón por la tardanza might be seen as a polite formality for a delay that others in the same culture would consider perfectly acceptable.
- While tardanza refers to the length of time spent waiting, the related word tarde is used both as an adverb for 'late' and as a noun for 'afternoon'.
Examples in context
- Disculpe mi retraso, hubo un imprevisto en el camino que no pude evitar. Lamento mucho haber llegado tarde a la reunión.I apologize for my delay. There was an unexpected situation on the way that I couldn't avoid. I'm really sorry for arriving late to the meeting.
- Perdón por la demora, el tráfico estuvo terrible hoy. Lo siento mucho por llegar tarde a la cena. ¿Puedo ayudarte en algo mientras esperas?Sorry for the delay, the traffic was terrible today. I'm really sorry for arriving late to dinner. Can I help you with something while you wait?
- Le pido disculpas por llegar tarde a la conferencia. El vuelo tuvo un retraso inesperado. Lamento mucho cualquier inconveniente que esto pueda haber causado.I apologize for being late to the conference. The flight had an unexpected delay. I sincerely regret any inconvenience this may have caused.
- Te pido perdón por la tardanza con el correo.I apologize for the delay with the email.
- Perdón por la tardanza, me quedé dormido.Sorry for being late, I fell asleep.
Example conversation
Daniel arrives late to meet Elena at a cafe.
- DanielPerdón por la tardanza, Elena.Sorry for the delay, Elena.
- ElenaNo te preocupes, Daniel, yo también acabo de llegar.Don't worry, Daniel, I just arrived too.
- Daniel¿Pedimos un café para empezar?Shall we order a coffee to start?
- ElenaSí, me parece bien.Yes, that sounds good to me.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, perdón, por, CC BY-SA 4.0.
