How do you say "I'm late." in Japanese?

"I'm late." in Japanese is "おくれました。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘I'm late.’ in Japanese

Q: What does "おくれました。" mean in English?

"おくれました。" means "I'm late." in English. Usage tip: [おくれました] is the polite past form of [おくれる], meaning "to be late." It literally means "was late."

おくれました。

o kure mashi ta

[o kureh mah-shee tah]

💬 Usage Tip: [おくれました] is the polite past form of [おくれる], meaning "to be late." It literally means "was late."

🇯🇵 In Japan: In Japan, punctuality matters a lot, so saying this quickly and politely is appreciated if you arrive late.

Phrase Breakdown

お

[o]

honorific/polite prefix sound here as part of the word

This is the first sound of おくれました. By itself here, it is just one part of the full expression.

Example

おくれました、といいます。

I say, “I was late.”

くれ

kure

[kureh]

be late (word stem part)

This is the stem part of おくれました, from the verb meaning to be late.

Example

おくれました、とあやまります。

I apologize by saying, “I was late.”

まし

mashi

[mah-shee]

polite verb ending part

This is part of the polite past ending in おくれました. It helps make the expression polite.

Example

おくれました、とていねいにいいます。

I politely say, “I was late.”

た

[tah]

past tense ending part

This final part helps show past tense in おくれました.

Example

おくれました、とせつめいします。

I explain by saying, “I was late.”

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