trop tard
The English phrase "too late" is translated into French as trop tard.
trop tard is used to state that the opportunity or the appropriate time for an action to occur has already passed. In informal settings, you might also hear C'est fichu to convey that something is now irretrievable or it is too late to fix a situation. Additionally, the informal phrase Trop tard, mon pauvre can be used specifically to tease someone about having missed an opportunity.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adverb trop meaning "too" and the adverb tard meaning "late".
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify what an action is too late for, use the preposition pour followed by an infinitive verb, such as Il est trop tard pour partir (It is too late to leave).
Did you know?
- The word trop is a linguistic survivor of a Frankish word for a cluster of houses or a village. This means the French word for 'too' shares a common ancestor with the English word 'village'.
- You can use Trop tard! as a standalone exclamation. It functions as a conversational dead-end to tell someone they have already missed their chance to negotiate or act.
Examples in context
- Il est trop tard.It is too late.This example shows how to state that it is too late.Tatoeba #912132 by sacredceltic, translation #456133 by lukaszpp
- Est-il trop tard ?Is it too late?This example shows how to ask if it is too late.Tatoeba #8450942 by felix63, translation #3333971 by CK
- Il était trop tard.It was too late.This example shows how to state that it was too late in the past.Tatoeba #2153117 by sacredceltic, translation #1235569 by Eldad
- Je suis désolé, mais il est trop tard pour annuler la réservation.I'm sorry, but it's too late to cancel the reservation.
- Veuillez nous excuser, mais le délai est dépassé, vous êtes en retard .Please excuse us, but the deadline has passed, you're too late.
- Malheureusement, nous ne pouvons pas accepter votre demande, car elle est arrivée en retard .Unfortunately, we can't accept your request because it arrived too late.
- Ne t'inquiète pas, on a raté le bus, c'est fichu .Don't worry, we missed the bus, it's too late.
- J'ai oublié de faire mes devoirs, c'est fichu .I forgot to do my homework, it's too late.
- Ah, tu as voulu m'appeler hier soir ? Trop tard, mon pauvre !Oh, you wanted to call me last night? Too late, my poor friend!
- 182 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo arrives at a movie theater after the film has started.
- HugoJe suis arrivé à l'heure ?Did I arrive on time?
- ManonNon, c'est trop tard pour entrer.No, it is too late to enter.
- HugoOh non, je suis vraiment désolé !Oh no, I am really sorry!
- ManonCe n'est pas grave, Hugo.It is not a problem, Hugo.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tard, trop, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
