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How to Say ‘I'm late’ in French

Je suis en retard

zhuh swee ahn ruh-tar

[zhuh swee ahn ruh-tar]

💬 Usage Tip: En retard means late for something, like a meeting. For late in the day, French uses tard instead, as in Il est tard "It's late."

Phrase Breakdown

Je suis

zhuh swee

I am

Subject 'je' with 'suis', the present tense of 'être'. In casual speech it often sounds like 'chuis'.

Example

Je suis fatigué.

I am tired.

Words in this phrase

Je

[zhuh]

I

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

suis

[swee]

am

First person singular present of 'to be'.

Example

Je suis fatigué.

I am tired.

en retard

ahn ruh-tar

late

Fixed expression meaning 'late'. Say 'en' as a nasal vowel and roll the throat 'r' in 'retard'. The final 'd' is silent.

Example

Le train est en retard.

The train is late.

Words in this phrase

en

[ahn]

in (part of 'en retard')

Preposition forming the fixed phrase 'en retard', meaning late.

Example

Il est souvent en retard.

He is often late.

retard

[ruh-tar]

lateness

Noun meaning delay or lateness, common in school situations.

Example

Dans « Excusez-moi pour le retard. », « retard » parle du fait d'arriver tard.

In “Excuse me for being late.”, “retard” refers to arriving late.

Related guides

Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.Common French Phrases You'll Use Every Day (with Native Audio)The common French phrases and expressions people actually use every day: greetings, polite essentials, reactions and casual slang, with meanings and native audio.

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