Italian · Time, Numbers & Colors
"Late" in Italian: tardi
tardi
Note: "to be late": essere in ritardo
Late in Italian as an adverb is tardi (TAR-dee): arrivo tardi, è tardi. Essere in ritardo means to be late for an appointment—useful, but not the headword.
Missing a bus
Scusa, arrivo tardi di dieci minuti.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce tardi
Say it
TAR-dee
/ˈtar.di/
TAR-dee, stress on TAR. Clear final i.
"Late" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| tardi | late Adverb of time. | Adverb of time. |
| troppo tardi | too late Missed timing. | Missed timing. |
| fare tardi | to stay out late / run late Evenings and schedules. | Evenings and schedules. |
| più tardi | later See you later / at a later time. | See you later / at a later time. |
How to use tardi in real life
- 1Missing a bus
Scusa, arrivo tardi di dieci minuti.
Sorry, I'm arriving ten minutes late.
Arrivo tardi.
- 2Checking the clock
È già tardi: chiudono la cucina.
It's already late: the kitchen is closing.
È tardi.
- 3Night plans
Non usciamo troppo tardi stasera.
Let's not go out too late tonight.
Troppo tardi.
Mistakes English speakers make with tardi
Incorrect: Arrivo late.
Correct: Arrivo tardi.
Use tardi, not English late.
Incorrect: Sono tardi per la riunione.
Correct: Arrivo tardi alla riunione. / Sono in ritardo.
For people, prefer arrivare tardi or essere in ritardo—not sono tardi.
Good to know
Italian appointments sometimes run on elastic time, but trains and films do not—tardi still matters. Saying scusa se arrivo tardi is polite glue in cities.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Meeting after a delayed metro
ChatPal
Sei tardi di proposito o c'era sciopero?
Are you late on purpose or was there a strike?
You
Scusa, arrivo tardi: la metro era ferma.
Sorry, I'm late: the metro was stuck.
ChatPal
Figurati. Però adesso è un po' tardi per il museo.
No worries. But now it's a bit late for the museum.
You
Allora ceniamo. Meglio che arrivare troppo tardi.
Then let's eat. Better than arriving too 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 Italian
Is tardi an adjective?
It is mainly an adverb: arrivo tardi, è tardi.
What about essere in ritardo?
That means to be late for something. Useful phrase, different wording.
How do I say too late?
Troppo tardi.
What does più tardi mean?
Later.
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
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