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How to Say ‘Sorry, I'm late.’ in French

Désolé, je suis en retard.

day-zoh-lay zhuh swee ahn ruh-tar

[day-zoh-lay zhuh swee ahn ruh-tar]

🇫🇷 In France: Five or ten minutes late to meet a friend is normal in France, and this quick line covers it. Save a longer apology for work meetings or appointments.

Phrase Breakdown

Désolé,

day-zoh-lay

Sorry,

A common apology. It has three syllables: dé-zo-lé. The 's' between vowels sounds like 'z'.

Example

Désolé, je ne savais pas.

Sorry, I didn't know.

Words in this phrase

Désolé

[day-zoh-lay]

Sorry

An apology often used to express remorse.

Example

Je suis désolé pour l'attente.

I am sorry for the wait.

je suis en retard.

zhuh swee ahn ruh-tar

I am late.

Explains the apology. Say it smoothly after a short pause. The 'd' at the end is silent.

Example

Vite, je suis en retard !

Quick, I'm late!

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

[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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