A1 Expression 正式 1分钟阅读

もう遅いです

Mo osoi desu

It's already late

开始练习

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use 'もう遅いです' to inform someone that the window of opportunity has closed or the time is past a deadline.

  • Means: It is already late (time or opportunity).
  • Used in: Missing trains, missed deadlines, or late-night social situations.
  • Don't confuse: '遅い' (slow) vs '遅い' (late); context determines the meaning.
Clock ⏰ + Sad face 😔 = 'もう遅いです'

适合你水平的解释：

This phrase means 'it is late'. You use it when the time is high or when you missed a chance. It is very simple and useful.
Use 'もう遅いです' to explain that a deadline has passed or that it is time to stop an activity. It is a polite way to say 'no' to late requests.
This expression functions as a definitive marker of a closed opportunity. It is commonly used in professional environments to decline late submissions or in social settings to signal the end of an evening.
The phrase acts as a linguistic boundary. By stating 'もう遅いです', the speaker asserts that the temporal window for action has expired, effectively terminating further negotiation or effort regarding the specific task at hand.
Syntactically, 'もう遅いです' utilizes the adverb 'もう' to denote the perfective aspect of the state '遅い'. Pragmatically, it serves as a face-saving device, externalizing the reason for refusal to the abstract concept of time rather than personal agency.
From a cognitive linguistics perspective, 'もう遅いです' maps the temporal domain onto a spatial path where the 'late' state represents a point beyond which the path is inaccessible. It is a quintessential example of how Japanese utilizes temporal markers to manage social expectations and mitigate interpersonal friction in high-context communication.

意思

Stating that the current time is late.

🌍

文化背景

Punctuality is a core value, so 'already late' carries more weight than in some Western cultures. In international business, this phrase can be perceived as blunt if not softened with 'zannen desu ga' (unfortunately).

💡

Softening the blow

Add 'zannen desu ga' before 'mou osoi desu' to sound more polite.

💡

Softening the blow

Add 'zannen desu ga' before 'mou osoi desu' to sound more polite.

自我测试

Which is the correct polite form?

Choose the correct phrase for 'It is already late'.

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： もう遅いです

Adjectives end in 'i' before 'desu'.

🎉 得分： /1

视觉学习工具

练习题库

2 练习
选择正确答案 Fill Blank

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案：
Which is the correct polite form? Choose A1

Choose the correct phrase for 'It is already late'.

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： もう遅いです

Adjectives end in 'i' before 'desu'.

🎉 得分： /2

常见问题

1 个问题

No, use 'osoi' to describe speed, but avoid calling people 'late' directly.

相关表达

🔗

遅刻する

similar

To be late for an appointment

🔗

間に合わない

similar

Won't make it in time

在哪里用

📅

Missing a deadline

Boss: レポートはまだですか？

Employee: すみません、もう遅いです。

formal
🌙

Ending a party

Friend: もう1杯どう？

You: もう遅いですから、帰ります。

neutral

记住它

记忆技巧

Imagine a clock ('Moo' sounds like a cow, but think 'Moon' for night) saying 'Too late!'

视觉联想

A person standing at a train station watching the last train pull away while the moon is high in the sky.

Rhyme

The moon is high, the time has flown, 'Mou osoi' is the phrase you've known.

Story

Kenji wanted to buy a ticket. He arrived at 10 PM. The clerk said, 'もう遅いです'. Kenji realized he missed the last bus and had to walk home.

In Other Languages

English 'It's too late', Spanish 'Es demasiado tarde', French 'C'est trop tard'.

Word Web

もう (already)遅い (late)時間 (time)締め切り (deadline)残念 (regret)終わり (end)

挑战

Say 'もう遅いです' every time you see a clock past 9 PM for one week.

Review in 1, 3, 7, and 14 days.

发音

Stress Flat pitch accent.

Long 'o' sound.

Three distinct syllables.

正式程度

正式
もう遅いです。

もう遅いです。 (General time observation)

中性
もう遅いですね。

もう遅いですね。 (General time observation)

非正式
もう遅いよ。

もう遅いよ。 (General time observation)

俚语
遅っ！

遅っ！ (General time observation)

Derived from the classical Japanese 'ososhi', meaning slow or late. The 'mou' prefix was added to emphasize the completion of the state.

Edo:

趣味小知识

The kanji '遅' contains the 'walk' radical, showing that 'late' is related to how one moves.

文化笔记

Punctuality is a core value, so 'already late' carries more weight than in some Western cultures.

“電車が遅れると、もう遅いですと謝ります。”

In international business, this phrase can be perceived as blunt if not softened with 'zannen desu ga' (unfortunately).

“残念ですが、もう遅いです。”

对话开场白

“

What time do you usually go to bed?

常见错误

✗

もう遅くです

✓

もう遅いです

wrong conjugation
You cannot add 'k' to the adjective stem before 'desu'.

L1 Interference

0 1

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

Es demasiado tarde

Spanish uses 'demasiado' (too much) while Japanese uses 'もう' (already).

French Very Similar

C'est trop tard

French is more direct with 'trop' compared to the Japanese 'already' nuance.

German Very Similar

Es ist zu spät

German uses 'zu' for 'too', whereas Japanese relies on context.

Japanese self

もう遅いです

N/A

Arabic moderate

لقد فات الأوان

Arabic focuses on the passing of time rather than the state of being late.

Spotted in the Real World

🎬

(2016)

“もう遅いよ。”

Realizing the time has passed to save the town.

容易混淆

もう遅いです 对比 遅い (osoi)

Learners confuse 'late' and 'slow'.

Context is key; if talking about a clock, it's 'late'. If talking about a runner, it's 'slow'.

常见问题 (1)

No, use 'osoi' to describe speed, but avoid calling people 'late' directly.

usage contexts

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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