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How to Say ‘To arrive a little late’ in French

Arriver un peu en retard

ah-ree-VAY uhn puh on ruh-TAR

[ah-ree-VAY uhn puh on ruh-TAR]

Phrase Breakdown

Arriver un peu

ah-ree-VAY uhn puh

To arrive a little

'Arriver' ends in an 'é' sound. 'Un peu' means 'a little'.

Example

Je vais arriver un peu tôt.

I'm going to arrive a little early.

Words in this phrase

Arriver

[ah-ree-VAY]

to arrive

To get somewhere.

Example

On va arriver à huit heures.

We'll arrive at eight.

[uhn]

Indefinite article used before a singular noun.

Example

Un petit garçon joue.

A little boy is playing.

peu

[puh]

little

Used to indicate a small amount.

Example

Il y a peu de gens.

There are few people.

en retard

on ruh-TAR

late

'En retard' means 'late', as in behind schedule. The 'd' is silent: 'an ruh-tar'.

Example

Le train est en retard.

The train is late.

Words in this phrase

[on]

A preposition indicating inclusion within a space.

Example

Il est en France.

He is in France.

retard

[ruh-TAR]

lateness / delay

Used in 'en retard', meaning late.

Example

Désolé pour le retard.

Sorry for the delay.

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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