How do you say "late" in Japanese?

遅れた

Okureta

Adjective Kanji

In Japanese, "late" is 遅れた (Okureta).

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Pronunciation

遅れた is written using kanji. Romanised as Okureta, it sounds roughly like "oh-koo-reh-tah" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Okureta (遅れた) is the past-participle form of okureru (to be late). Okurete imasu is the natural present form. For general slowness, use osoi instead.

Example sentence

電車が遅れています。

Densha ga okurete imasu.

The train is running late.

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How to remember 遅れた

Okureta suggests missing the right moment. Picture someone arriving after a door has closed behind the on-time guests.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese adjectives.

Questions about 遅れた

How do you pronounce 遅れた?

遅れた is romanised as Okureta. Say it roughly like "oh-koo-reh-tah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 遅れた formal or casual?

遅れた is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 遅れた written in Japanese?

遅れた is written using kanji. Okureta (遅れた) is the past-participle form of okureru (to be late).

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Late" in other languages

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