Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| tardo | /ˈtaɾdo/ |
| tardío | /taɾˈdio/ |
| moroso | /moˈɾoso/ |
The concept of being tardy in Spanish is expressed through different words depending on the context. While tardo and tardío relate to being late in time, Spanish speakers typically use the verbal phrase llegar tarde to say one is arriving late to an appointment or school. To apologize for being late, you can use Disculpa por llegar tarde or to apologize for a delay, you can say Perdón por el retraso.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on what is being described: tardo and tardío generally relate to being late in time, but tardío is specifically used for things that occur at a late stage in a cycle or period, such as un desarrollo tardío (a late development). The form moroso is a specialized term used specifically to describe a person or entity that is late in making a payment or fulfilling a financial obligation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form tardo can also function as the first-person singular present indicative of the verb tardar (meaning to be late or to take time). In this verbal context, tarda serves as the third-person singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtaɾdo/
Did you know?
- The word moroso specifically describes someone late on payments and shares a root with the English word 'moratorium', which is a legal delay of payment.
- The Spanish word tardío is often used in botany and biology to describe things like fruit or blooms that appear late in a season, much like the English 'late-blooming'.
- The word tardo comes from the Latin tardus, which was possibly borrowed into Latin from an earlier source rather than being native to the language.
Examples in context
- El presentador llegó un poco retrasado a la conferenciaThe speaker arrived a bit late to the conference
- María es constantemente impuntual a nuestras reunionesMaría is consistently unpunctual to our meetings
- Voy a llegar con retraso, perdón por la esperaI'm going to arrive late, sorry for the wait
- No te preocupes, Juan. Entendemos que todos podemos tener contratiempos.Don't worry, Juan. We understand that everyone can have setbacks.
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are meeting at a cafe.
- SofíaHola Alejandro, ¿por qué llegaste tardo?Hello Alejandro, why did you arrive tardy?
- AlejandroLo siento Sofía, había mucho tráfico.I'm sorry Sofía, there was a lot of traffic.
- SofíaNo pasa nada, pero no seas tardo mañana.It's okay, but don't be tardy tomorrow.
- AlejandroTienes razón, llegaré a tiempo.You are right, I will arrive on time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tardy” translations and entries tardo, tardío, moroso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries moroso, tardo, tardío, CC BY-SA 4.0.
