Telling a friend you're running late in Spanish

1. 1
   tarde/ˈtaɾde/

   lateadverb

   After the time something was supposed to happen.
2. 2
   llegar/ʝeˈɡaɾ/

   to arriveverb

   To reach the place you were headed to.
3. 3
   tráfico/ˈtɾafiko/

   trafficnoun

   The vehicles moving along a street or a road.
4. 4

   embotellamientotraffic jam

5. 5

   camiónbus

6. 6

   apurarto hurry

7. 7

   descompuestobroken

8. 8

   ratoa while

9. 9

   puntualpunctual

10. 10

    mensajemessage

The sentences3 of 10

1. Perdón, voy a llegar tarde, ya voy en camino.

   Sorry, I'm going to be late, I'm on my way.

2. Creo que voy a llegar en diez minutos.

   I think I'll get there in ten minutes.

3. Hay mucho tráfico y el camión no avanza.

   There's a lot of traffic and the bus isn't moving.

Pronunciation

• tráfico/ˈtɾafiko/

  The stress falls on trá; the other two syllables sound softer.

Good to know

camión

In Mexico camión is the city bus, and you take it to get around town. It stops along the way, so at rush hour it can take quite a while.

hora pico

In big cities traffic is usually heavy in the morning and at the end of the afternoon. Expect delays if you have an appointment at those times.

puntualidad

At many gatherings of friends, arriving a bit late is tolerated, though it varies by place and occasion. It's normal to send a message if you're going to be late.

Questions

How do I say I'm going to be late in Spanish?

You can say "Perdón, voy a llegar tarde, ya voy en camino." That means sorry, I'm going to be late, I'm on my way.