迟到了
chídào le
(i'm) late · trad. 遲到了
迟到了 (Chídào le) means "(I'm) late" or "arrived late." The particle 了 (le) indicates that the action of being late has occurred or that a new state of being late has been reached. It's commonly used to apologize for or state the fact of being late.
What does 迟到了 (chídào le) mean?
迟到了 (chídào le) means “(I'm) late” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “arrived late.”
When to use it
Neutral. It's often paired with 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi), "excuse me" or "sorry," to form a polite apology: 不好意思，我迟到了。 To state that someone else is late, you can say 你迟到了 (nǐ chídào le) or 他迟到了 (tā chídào le).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “chur-DAO luh.” The first syllable is a high, flat tone, the second is a strong falling tone, and the third is a light, neutral tone.
Other ways to say it
- 不好意思，我迟到了。bù hǎo yìsi, wǒ chídào le.Sorry, I'm late.
- 你迟到了。nǐ chídào le.You are late.
- 他迟到了。tā chídào le.He is late.
Examples
不好意思，我迟到了。
bù hǎo yìsi, wǒ chídào le.
Sorry, I'm late.
你为什么迟到了？
nǐ wèi shénme chídào le?
Why are you late?
他今天开会迟到了。
tā jīntiān kāihuì chídào le.
He was late for the meeting today.
Pro tip: The 了 (le) particle here indicates a completed action or a change of state, making the phrase mean "already late" or "have become late."
Related phrases
快到了 · Almost there我在路上 · I'm on my way堵车了 · There's a traffic jam
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