Hindi · Time, Numbers & Colors
"Late" in Hindi: देर से
देर सेder se
Late in Hindi is देर से (der se). You arrive der se and finish work der se. Der alone also means delay.
Meeting apology
माफ़ कीजिए, मैं देर से पहुँचा।maaf kijiye, main der se pahuncha.
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How to pronounce देर से
Say it
der se
/d̪eːr seː/
Der se is der se: short e like get, soft dental d, then se. Keep both words; do not drop se.
"Late" in Hindi: quick reference
| Hindi | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| देर सेder se | late Default adverb phrase. | Default adverb phrase. |
| देर से आनाder se aana | to come late Arrivals. | Arrivals. |
| बहुत देर सेbahut der se | very late Stronger delay. | Stronger delay. |
| देर हो गईder ho gai | it’s gotten late Clock running out. | Clock running out. |
How to use देर से in real life
- 1Meeting apology
माफ़ कीजिए, मैं देर से पहुँचा।
maaf kijiye, main der se pahuncha.
Sorry, I arrived late.
Full der se with arrival.
- 2Train
ट्रेन देर से चल रही है।
train der se chal rahi hai.
The train is running late.
Transport delay.
- 3Night work
आज देर से सोऊँगा।
aaj der se sounga.
I’ll sleep late today.
Late bedtime.
Mistakes English speakers make with देर से
Incorrect: Only der without se for late arrival.
Correct: Say der se / देर से for late.
The headword is the phrase देर से, not bare der in every sentence.
Incorrect: Baad mein for arriving late.
Correct: Baad mein is later; late arrival is der se / देर से।
Keep देर से for lateness and बाद में for afterward.
Good to know
Indian English late is everywhere, but der se is the Hindi habit. Hosts still say der se mat aana before wedding functions.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Apologizing for a late coffee meetup
ChatPal
क्या आप देर से आए?
kya aap der se aaye?
Did you come late?
You
हाँ, ट्रैफ़िक से देर से निकला।
haan, traffic se der se nikla.
Yes — traffic made me leave late.
ChatPal
कोई बात नहीं, देर से भी ठीक है।
koi baat nahi, der se bhi theek hai.
No worries — late is still okay.
You
अगली बार देर से नहीं आऊँगा।
agli baar der se nahi aaunga.
Next time I won’t come late.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Late" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Late" in Hindi
Do I always need se?
For the adverb late, yes: der se. Der ho gai is a related delay phrase.
How do I say sorry I’m late?
Maaf kijiye, main der se aa gaya/gayi.
Is late English okay?
People understand it, but der se is the Hindi headword to practice.
How is der se different from baad mein?
Der se is late. Baad mein is later / afterward.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
