How to Say ‘I'm late.’ in Simplified Chinese
我来晚了。
wǒ lái wǎn le
[waw lye wahn le]
💬 Usage Tip: Chinese often says "come late" for "be late," so 我来晚了 is a very natural way to apologize for arriving late. The 了 marks that this has now happened.
Phrase Breakdown
我
wǒ
[waw]
I; me
The basic first-person pronoun in Chinese.
我常常跟邻居说早上好。
I often say good morning to my neighbor.
来
lái
[lye]
to come; to arrive
Means “come.” In invitations and welcoming phrases, it implies visiting/coming over.
过年来我家吃饺子吧！
Come to my home during New Year to eat dumplings!
晚
wǎn
[wahn]
late
An adjective meaning 'late,' often used when discussing whether a time is suitable.
九点有点晚。
Nine o’clock is a bit late.
了
le
[le]
change-of-state particle
Sentence-final particle showing a new situation or completed change.
下雨了。
It's raining now.
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