Japanese verb 遅れる: being late

The idea

遅れる is an ichidan verb. Remove る to form 遅れます, 遅れません, 遅れました and 遅れて. Mark the event missed or reached late with に; a delayed train can be the subject with が.

Examples

• 会議かいぎに遅おくれます。I will be late for the meeting.
• 電車でんしゃが十分じゅっぷん遅おくれています。The train is ten minutes late.
• 昨日きのう、授業じゅぎょうに遅おくれました。I was late for class yesterday.
• 明日あしたは約束やくそくに遅おくれません。Tomorrow I will not be late for our appointment.
• バスが遅おくれて、学校がっこうに遅おくれました。The bus was delayed, so I was late for school.
• すみません、少すこし遅おくれます。Sorry, I will be a little late.

Watch out

Do not use を for the event: 会議に遅れる means to be late for a meeting. 遅い is an adjective meaning late or slow, not this verb.

Try it yourself

1. Write the polite non-past form. ＿。（遅れる→ます）

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   遅れます

   遅れます is the polite non-past; context makes it present or future.

2. Write the て form. ＿。（遅れる→て）

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   遅れて

   遅れて is the て form, made by replacing る with て; it can connect clauses.

3. Choose the particle for being late to a meeting. 会議かいぎ＿遅おくれました。（に／を）

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   に

   に marks the meeting as the event for which someone is late.

Use it today

Tell someone you will be late for class, then change your sentence to the polite past.