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How to Say ‘I am late.’ in French

Je suis en retard.

zhuh swee ahn ruh-tar

[zhuh swee ahn ruh-tar]

💬 Usage Tip: Use en retard for people and things running late. "Late at night" is tard instead, not en retard.

🇫🇷 In France: Being five to ten minutes late to a dinner at someone's home is normal and polite in France. For work meetings or appointments, send a quick message with this phrase if you'll be late.

Phrase Breakdown

Je suis

zhuh swee

I am

Say it as 'zhuh swee'. In casual speech it often sounds like 'shwee'.

Example

Je suis prêt.

I am ready.

Words in this phrase

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

suis

[swee]

First person singular present of 'to be'.

Example

Je suis fatigué.

I am tired.

en retard.

ahn ruh-tar

late

Means behind schedule. Say it as 'an ruh-tar'. The 'd' is silent.

Example

Tu es en retard !

You are late!

Words in this phrase

[ahn]

(part of 'en retard')

Preposition used in fixed expressions describing a state, like being late or early.

Example

Il est en retard pour le train.

He is late for the train.

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.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.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.

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