Introduction
One of the famous (notorious?) Japanese cultures is to be punctual. In fact, if you are even 1 minute late, you may make people angry in Japan. Thus, you should know "I'm late" in Japanese. Let's learn together.
10 Phrases: How to say "I'm late" in Japanese
When you are late
| すみません、遅くなりました。 |
| I’m sorry for being late. |
| お待たせしてすみませんでした。 |
| I am sorry to have kept you waiting. |
When you are going to be late
In Japan, being punctual is considered to be a criterion for determining whether you are dependable. Therefore, people usually inform their situation beforehand as below.
| すみません、１０分遅れます。 |
| Sorry, I’m going to be 10 minutes late. |
| すみません、渋滞していて３０分ぐらい遅れます。 |
| Sorry, I’m going to be about 30 minutes late. I'm stuck in a traffic jam. |
| 後２０分で着きます。 |
| I will be there in 20 minutes. |
| すみません、寝坊しました。今すぐ行きます。 |
| Sorry, I have overslept. I will go immediately. |
When you may be late
| すみません、５分ほど遅れるかもしれません。 |
| Sorry, I may be about 5 minutes late. |
| 電車が遅れていて、１０分ぐらい遅れるかもしれません。 |
| I may be about 10 minutes late. The train is delayed. |
| すみません、遅れそうです。 |
| Sorry, it's likely that I will be late. |
| ちょうどに着くか、少し遅れそうです。 |
| It’s likely that I will be just on time or a little late. |
Conclusion
In Japan, being on time is actually not enough. In the workplace, we are required to arrive at 10 minutes earlier than scheduled time. Is it difficult for you? If so, please make sure to remember the above phrases!
Recommended Links
Japanese Greetings: 30 Phrases You Need to Know
15 Phrases: How to Say “You’re Welcome” in Japanese
30 Phrases: How to Say “Thank You” in Japanese
