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How to Say ‘I was late’ in Italian

Ho fatto tardi

o FAHT-toh TAR-dee

[o FAHT-toh TAR-dee]

💬 Usage Tip: Literally "I made late": Italians use fare tardi for running late or staying up late. ho fatto tardi ieri sera means "I stayed up late last night".

Phrase Breakdown

[o]

have

Used as an auxiliary verb.

Example

Ho vinto un premio ieri.

I have won a prize yesterday.

fatto

[FAHT-toh]

made / done

Past participle of 'fare'; in expressions it often means 'made' or 'caused'.

Example

Il tuo commento mi ha fatto riflettere.

Your comment made me reflect.

tardi

[TAR-dee]

late

Adverb meaning after the usual or expected time.

Example

Torno tardi stasera.

I'm coming back late tonight.

Guides for Italian learners

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