Which one should you use?
Unlike English, where 'late' can be an adjective, in French you are en retard (in delay) rather than simply being tard (late) when referring to a schedule.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more formal or professional settings, you should use Veuillez m'excuser pour mon retard (Please excuse my lateness), Désolé(e) pour mon retard (Sorry for my delay), Je tiens à m'excuser pour mon retard (I want to apologize for my delay) or Je souhaite présenter mes excuses pour mon retard (I wish to apologize for my delay). For a more informal tone, you can say Désolé(e) d'être en retard (Sorry for being late).
How does it change in a sentence?
If the speaker is female, the adjective désolé must take an extra 'e' to become désolée.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying je suis tard by translating "I am late" literally from English. In French, tard is an adverb used for time (e.g., 'it is late'), not a state of being behind schedule.
Did you know?
- In France, arriving up to 15 minutes late to a social event at a home is often seen as a courtesy known as le quart d'heure de politesse, or 'the polite quarter hour'.
- The word suis in je suis is a linguistic oddity because it likely evolved from the Latin word for 'I was' (fuī) instead of the expected 'I am' (sum).
- When using the formal phrase Veuillez m'excuser, you are not actually asking for forgiveness, but asking the other person to perform the act of excusing you.
Examples in context
- Désolé, je suis en retard, il y avait des bouchons.Sorry, I am late, there was traffic.
- Désolé, je suis en retard pour la réunion.Sorry, I am late for the meeting.
- Désolé, je suis en retard à cause du bus.Sorry, I am late because of the bus.
- Désolé, je suis en retard, le train était bloqué.Sorry, I am late, the train was stuck.
Example conversation
Emma arrives at a cafe to meet Gabriel.
- EmmaSalut Gabriel ! Désolé, je suis en retard.Hi Gabriel! Sorry, I am late.
- GabrielCe n'est pas grave, Emma.It's not a problem, Emma.
- EmmaIl y avait beaucoup de trafic.There was a lot of traffic.
- GabrielJe comprends, on peut commander maintenant.I understand, we can order now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, je, retard, suis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
