迟到

• Pinyin: chí dào
• Hanzi breakdown: 迟 = 辶 (movement) + 尺 (ruler, phonetic), meaning slow or late; 到 = 至 (arrive) + 刂 (knife radical, phonetic), meaning to arrive

Meaning

To be late; to arrive late. Coming after the expected or scheduled time.

Used specifically for arriving late to a scheduled event like school, work, or a meeting. Very common in everyday life. Can be used as a simple verb or with duration and frequency words. In Chinese culture, punctuality is valued, and being late is generally frowned upon.

Examples

1. 今天早上堵车，我上班迟到了十分钟。 There was traffic this morning, and I was ten minutes late to work.
2. 开会不能迟到，请大家准时到达。 You can't be late to the meeting — please arrive on time, everyone.
3. 她从来没有迟到过一次。 She has never been late even once.

Usage Guide

Context: school, work, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 对不起，我迟到了。(Sorry, I'm late.)
• 他总是迟到，老板很不高兴。(He is always late, and the boss is unhappy.)

Don't Say

• 春天迟到了 (For seasons arriving late, use 来得晚; 迟到 is for people arriving late to scheduled events)

Origin & History

迟 means slow or late; 到 means to arrive. Together they mean to arrive late.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal