Signification
Arriving after the scheduled time.
Contexte culturel
The 'Quarto d'ora accademico' allows for a 15-minute grace period in many social and educational settings. Punctuality is taken much more seriously in cities like Milan, where 'essere in ritardo' can affect professional reputation. Time is often seen as a suggestion. Being 'in ritardo' for a party is expected and sometimes preferred. Trains are notoriously 'in ritardo', and it is a common topic of conversation and bonding among commuters.
The 'Di' Rule
Always use 'di' to say how many minutes you are late. 'Sono in ritardo di 5 minuti'.
Avoid 'Ho ritardo'
Even though you 'have a delay' in English, in Italian you 'are in delay'.
Signification
Arriving after the scheduled time.
The 'Di' Rule
Always use 'di' to say how many minutes you are late. 'Sono in ritardo di 5 minuti'.
Avoid 'Ho ritardo'
Even though you 'have a delay' in English, in Italian you 'are in delay'.
Apologize First
Always start with 'Scusa' or 'Scusi' before saying you are late to sound more polite.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing word.
Io sono ___ ritardo.
The fixed expression is 'essere in ritardo'.
Choose the correct sentence to say 'The train is 5 minutes late'.
Qual è la frase corretta?
Use 'di' to specify the amount of time.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Perché non sei ancora qui? B: Scusa, il traffico è terribile e io ____.
'Sono in ritardo' is the correct way to describe your current state of being late.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You are 20 minutes late for a dinner with your Italian grandmother.
Even with family, 'sono in ritardo' is the standard way to announce your lateness.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesIo sono ___ ritardo.
The fixed expression is 'essere in ritardo'.
Qual è la frase corretta?
Use 'di' to specify the amount of time.
A: Perché non sei ancora qui? B: Scusa, il traffico è terribile e io ____.
'Sono in ritardo' is the correct way to describe your current state of being late.
You are 20 minutes late for a dinner with your Italian grandmother.
Even with family, 'sono in ritardo' is the standard way to announce your lateness.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
5 questionsNo, you must include the preposition 'in'. It's 'Sono in ritardo'.
'Essere' describes your state (I am late), while 'arrivare' describes the action (I am arriving late).
You can say 'Sono un po' in ritardo' or 'Sto facendo tardi'.
It depends. For work, yes. For a casual dinner with friends, 10-15 minutes is usually fine.
Use 'essere' as the auxiliary: 'Sono stato/a in ritardo'.
Expressions liées
fare tardi
similarto stay up late / to be late in the day
arrivare in ritardo
similarto arrive late
in orario
contraston time
ritardatario
builds ona person who is always late
