Tardy
Meaning: Late to class or school; used in the American school system for recording late arrivals.
In American schools, being 'tardy' is the official term for arriving late. Getting a tardy goes on your record, and too many tardies can mean detention or other consequences. It's so ingrained in American school culture that adults still use it informally for being late to anything.
Examples
- I was tardy to first period because my car wouldn't start. 我第一节课迟到了,因为车发动不了。Llegué tarde a primera hora porque el coche no arrancaba.車がかからなくて1時間目に遅刻した。차가 안 걸려서 1교시에 지각했어.
- Three more tardies and you're getting detention. 再迟到三次你就得留校了。Tres retrasos más y te quedas castigado después de clase.あと3回遅刻したら居残りだぞ。3번만 더 지각하면 벌을 받을 거야.
- Don't be tardy to the meeting — the VP hates when people are late. 开会别迟到——副总裁最讨厌人迟到。No llegues tarde a la reunión: al vicepresidente le molesta mucho la impuntualidad.会議に遅刻するなよ — 副社長は遅刻する人を嫌うんだ。회의에 늦지 마 — 부사장님은 늦는 사람을 싫어하거든.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: school, punctuality, discipline
Tone: official, scolding
✓ Do Say
- You're tardy — take a seat.你迟到了——坐下吧。Has llegado tarde: siéntate.遅刻だよ — 座りなさい。지각이야 — 자리에 앉아.
- I got a tardy for being two minutes late.就迟了两分钟我就被记了一次迟到。Me pusieron un retraso por llegar dos minutos tarde.2分遅れただけで遅刻扱いにされた。2분 늦었다고 지각 처리당했어.
✗ Don't Say
- Less common in British English — they'd just say 'late'在英式英语中不太常用——英国人通常直接说'late'Menos habitual en inglés británico: simplemente dirían «late»イギリス英語ではあまり使われない — 単に「late」と言う영국 영어에서는 덜 쓰임 — 그들은 그냥 'late'라고 함
Origin & History
From the French 'tardif' (slow, late) via Latin. While the word exists in general English, its specific use as a school attendance term is uniquely American and dates to the 19th century American school system.
Cultural Context
Era: 19th century American schools
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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