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How to Say ‘I am late.’ in German

Ich bin spät dran.

ikh bin shpeht drahn

[ikh bin shpeht drahn]

💬 Usage Tip: dran on its own is about turns: Ich bin dran means "it's my turn". Adding spät turns it into "running late", so be careful which one you say in a queue.

Phrase Breakdown

Ich bin

ikh bin

I am

'Ich' uses the soft 'ch', like a whispered 'h' with your tongue near your palate. 'bin' is the 'I' form of 'sein' (to be).

Example

Ich bin müde.

I am tired.

Words in this phrase

Ich

[ikh]

The pronoun 'ich' in nominative form.

Example

Ich bin da.

I am here.

bin

[bin]

First-person singular form of 'sein' meaning 'to be.'

Example

Beim Kennenlernen sage ich: Ich bin neu hier.

When meeting people I say: I am new here.

spät dran.

shpeht drahn

late (running late)

'spät dran sein' means 'to be running late'. 'sp' at the start of a word sounds like 'shp': 'shpayt'. Roll or gargle the 'r' in 'dran'.

Example

Du bist heute spät dran.

You're running late today.

Words in this phrase

spät

[shpeht]

late

After the expected or usual time.

Example

Es ist spät am Abend.

It is late in the evening.

dran

[drahn]

(running) behind

Colloquial short form of 'daran'; 'spät dran sein' means to be running late.

Example

Du bist heute früh dran.

You're early today.

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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