Late in different languages

Late in Different Languages

Discover 'Late' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Updated on March 6, 2024

The word 'late' carries a multitude of meanings and connotations, often signifying something that has occurred or been completed after the expected or desired time. Its significance is universal, cutting across cultural and linguistic boundaries, and making it a vital component of our global lexicon. The word 'late' not only holds practical importance in our daily lives but also bears cultural significance in various traditions and rituals. For instance, in many Western cultures, it is customary to refer to deceased individuals as 'the late so-and-so' as a mark of respect.

Given the word's ubiquity and cultural importance, it's unsurprising that many languages have their own translations of 'late.' For instance, in Spanish, 'late' translates to 'tarde,' while in French, it's 'tard,' and in German, 'spät.' These translations offer a fascinating glimpse into the linguistic diversity of our world, showcasing the myriad ways in which different cultures express the same concept.

In the sections below, we delve deeper into the translations of 'late' in various languages, providing a comprehensive guide for language enthusiasts and cultural explorers alike.

Late


Late in Sub-Saharan African Languages

Afrikaanslaat
The Afrikaans word 'laat' can also mean 'slow' or 'lazy'
Amharicረፍዷል
"ረፍዷል" is derived from the Proto-Ethiosemitic word *rəfəʾ- 'to leave behind, to remain' and also means 'remainder, rest'.
Hausaanjima
"Anjima" shares its root with the word "aji" meaning "to reach" or "arrive".
Igbombubreyo
The Igbo word "mbubreyo" derives from the words "mbu" (very) and "ubre" (late), emphasizing extreme tardiness.
Malagasytara
Malagasy "tara" derives from Old Malay "telal" meaning "last" or "later".
Nyanja (Chichewa)mochedwa
The Nyanja (Chichewa) word "mochedwa" also means "last-born" in the phrase "mwana wacichewa mochedwa" which would translate literally as "the last child" or "the youngest child."
Shonakunonoka
The Shona word "kunonoka" is derived from the Proto-Bantu root "-nonok-a," meaning "to be slow, late, or lazy."
Somalidaahay
The word
Sesothomorao
The word "morao" can also mean "yesterday" or "the day before yesterday" in Sesotho.
Swahilimarehemu
"Marehemu" also means "deceased" in Swahili.
Xhosamva
The word Mva can be used in a variety of ways, both in its original context as well as in the sense of 'overstaying one's welcome'.
Yorubapẹ
The word "pẹ" in Yoruba can also mean "behind" or "last" in a sequence, denoting position or order.
Zulusekwephuzile
The word "sekwephuzile" in Zulu is derived from the root "kwephuza," meaning "to be late or delayed."
Bambaralɛrɛ kɔfɛ
Ewetsi megbe
Kinyarwandabitinze
Lingalaretard
Lugandakikeerezi
Sepedimorago
Twi (Akan)aka akyi

Late in North African & Middle Eastern Languages

Arabicمتأخر
The word "متأخر" can also mean "lazy" or "hesitant" in Arabic.
Hebrewמאוחר
The Hebrew word "מאוחר" (late) comes from the root "אחר" (after), implying a chronological order.
Pashtoناوخته
The word 'ناوخته' ('late') in Pashto is also used to describe something that is 'new' or 'inexperienced'.
Arabicمتأخر
The word "متأخر" can also mean "lazy" or "hesitant" in Arabic.

Late in Western European Languages

Albanianvonë
The word 'vonë' may have evolved from the Proto-Albanian word 'von' meaning 'to stay behind'.
Basqueberandu
The word "berandu" is cognate with the Catalan word "berant" and the Aragonese word "bieran", all meaning "late".
Catalantard
"Tard" in Catalan can also mean "afternoon" or "afternoon nap."
Croatiankasno
In Dalmatian, the word "kasno" can also mean "tonight".
Danishsent
The Danish word "sent" is related to the Old Norse word "sein", meaning "slow".
Dutchlaat
"Laat" can also mean "low" as in "laag".
Englishlate
The word 'late' originally referred to something delayed, hesitant, or sluggish, rather than simply occurring after the expected time.
Frenchen retard
The word "en retard" can also mean "behind" or "slow" in French.
Frisianlet
In Frisian, "let" also means "hindered" or "prevented".
Galiciantarde
In Galician, "tarde" also means "evening" and is related to the Latin "tardus" meaning "slow" or "heavy."
Germanspät
Spät is derived from the Old High German word "spâto" or "spâti," meaning "successful" or "prosperous."
Icelandicseint
The word 'seint' is derived from Proto-Norse *sinat- 'evening', but is now only found in the phrase 'það er seint á ferðina', meaning 'it's getting late for the journey'
Irishdéanach
It derives from Middle Irish dénach "last, hindmost" and also means "finally" or "in the end".
Italiantardi
The Italian word "tardi" originates from the Latin "tardus," also meaning "slow" and "heavy."
Luxembourgishspéit
Spéit can also mean 'later' or 'the day after' when used in certain contexts or phrases.
Maltesetard
The Maltese word "tard" may also refer to an individual with intellectual disability or a mentally challenged person.
Norwegiansent
In Norwegian, "sent" can also refer to "the late evening or night," as in "om kvelden sent."
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)tarde
The word "tarde" can also mean "afternoon" in Portuguese.
Scots Gaelicfadalach
The word "fadalach" in Scots Gaelic derives from the Proto-Celtic root word "*wadlos," which also meant "late" or "leftover."
Spanishtarde
The Spanish word "tarde" also means "afternoon" and is derived from the Latin word "tarda" meaning "slow" or "delayed"
Swedishsent
Sent is an ancient Germanic word also present in some Scandinavian languages, it's a cognate of 'send' and originally meant 'send off' (someone), so 'late' can be seen as the end point of someone or something being sent.
Welshhwyr
The word "hwyr" also means "west" in Welsh, as the sun sets in the west.

Late in Eastern European Languages

Belarusianпозна
The word "позна" also has the meaning of "after" (as in time), like in the phrase "позна завчера" (after the day before yesterday).
Bosniankasno
The word "kasno" likely derives from either Old Slavic "kasьno" or a contraction of the Proto-Indo-European "kosnos" (night), suggesting the connection of "late" to "night".
Bulgarianкъсен
In Bulgarian, "късен" also refers to "the latest model of a car" and "the back end of a horse."
Czechpozdě
The word "pozdě" also refers to the time of day between 10 pm and midnight in Czech, similar to the use of "night" in English.
Estonianhilja
The origin of "hilja" is "hää"("good," "nicely") from the older meaning "time that fits best"
Finnishmyöhään
"Myöhään" can also mean "in the deep" or "in the depths" in a metaphorical or spiritual sense.
Hungariankéső
The word "késő" comes from a Proto-Uralic root meaning "to delay, linger, or be slow".
Latvianvēlu
The word "vēlu," meaning "lateness," may also refer to the season of autumn.
Lithuanianvėlai
Lithuanian "vėlai" is also used to refer to a "late-stage" of something
Macedonianдоцна
"доцна" ultimately originates from Proto-Indo-European "*dewk-no" (yesterday) but developed its current meaning in Proto-Slavic.
Polishpóźno
The word 'późno' in Polish can also mean 'afterwards' or 'later on'.
Romaniantârziu
"Târziu" derives from Latin "tarde" (in the evening), influenced by Slavic "tard" (slow, late).
Russianпоздно
"Поздно" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*pozdъ" which may be related to "*pozъdi" meaning "behind".
Serbianкасно
"Касно" can also mean "dark" or "black" in Serbian.
Slovakneskoro
"Neskoro" in Slovak shares its root with the word for "poverty" in some Slavic languages, suggesting a connection between tardiness and economic hardship.
Slovenianpozen
The word "pozen" in Slovenian, which means "late," comes from the Slavic root "pozdъ," meaning "after" or "behind."
Ukrainianпізно
The word "пізно" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *pozdъ, meaning "after" or "behind," and is related to the word "пізній" ("late") in modern Ukrainian.

Late in South Asian Languages

Bengaliদেরী
"দেরী" in Bengali also means "delay" or "tardiness".
Gujaratiઅંતમાં
The word "અંતમાં" can also mean "finally" or "in conclusion."
Hindiदेर से
The Hindi word "देर से" can also mean "slowly" or "in the evening."
Kannadaತಡವಾಗಿ
In some contexts, "ತಡವಾಗಿ" can also mean "belated" or "too late".
Malayalamവൈകി
"വൈകി" is cognate with words such as "വികല" and "വിപര്യയ" meaning "distorted". The verb forms of these words in Malayalam all mean "to get delayed".
Marathiउशीरा
The Marathi word "उशीरा" has a cognate in Gujarati: "ઉશીર"," pronounced "ushiru".
Nepaliढिलो
The word ढिलो can also mean 'slow' or 'lazy'.
Punjabiਦੇਰ ਨਾਲ
Sinhala (Sinhalese)නැසීගිය
The word "නැසීගිය" ultimately derives from the Sanskrit word "नष्ट" (naṣṭa), meaning "destroyed" or "perished".
Tamilதாமதமாக
The word “தாமதமாக” has roots in a Sanskrit word that means slow.
Teluguఆలస్యం
Urduدیر
The Urdu word "دیر" also has the alternate meaning of "monastery" and is derived from the Persian word "دیر" with the same meaning.

Late in East Asian Languages

Chinese (Simplified)晚的
晚的 is the first of two characters in a compound that can mean 'a child who was born late'.
Chinese (Traditional)晚了
"晚了" can also mean "it's over" or "it's too late".
Japanese遅い
"遅い" comes from the verb "延ぶ" (to prolong), meaning something that takes a long time to happen.
Korean늦은
"늦은" originally meant "the end point" or "the time when something is finished," and it came to mean "late" because it implies that the end point has passed.
Mongolianсүүлээр
The Mongolian word "сүүлээр" can also mean "at the end".
Myanmar (Burmese)နောက်ကျ

Late in South East Asian Languages

Indonesianterlambat
The word "terlambat" derives from the Proto-Austronesian root "*lambat" meaning "slow" or "delayed".
Javanesetelat
Telat in Javanese can also mean 'to not have' or 'to lack' something.
Khmerយឺត
The word យឺត is also used to mean 'delay', 'slow', and 'gradually'.
Laoເດິກ
The Lao word "ເດິກ" can also mean "slowly" or "gently".
Malaylewat
The word "lewat" can also mean "exceed" or "overtake".
Thaiสาย
สาย is also the name for a type of thin rope or string, which reflects the sense of 'extending'. It can also refer to lineage, lineage, or line, like a clothesline.
Vietnamesemuộn
The word "muộn" in Vietnamese can also mean "slow" or "hesitant".
Filipino (Tagalog)huli na

Late in Central Asian Languages

Azerbaijanigec
The Azerbaijani word "gec" can also refer to "night" or "evening".
Kazakhкеш
The word "кеш" can also refer to a gift of jewelry, typically given as a dowry.
Kyrgyzкеч
The word "кеч" (late) in Kyrgyz is derived from the Proto-Turkic word *keç-*, which also means "night" or "evening".
Tajikдер
The word "дер" can also mean "yesterday" or "behind" in Tajik.
Turkmengiç
Uzbekkech
The word "kech" also means "evening" in Uzbek.
Uyghurكېچىكىپ قالدى

Late in Pacific Languages

Hawaiianlohi
The word "lohi" can also refer to old age or a gray head of hair.
Maorimutunga
The Maori word "mutunga" also means "conclusion" or "end".
Samoantuai
The word "tuai" can also mean "old" or "senior" in Samoan.
Tagalog (Filipino)huli na
The word "huli na" in Tagalog also means "the end" or "the final part".

Late in American Indigenous Languages

Aymarajayp'u
Guaranika'aru

Late in International Languages

Esperantomalfrue
The word "malfrue" can also mean "lastly" or "finally".
Latinsero
The word 'sero' in Latin also means 'at evening' and is related to the word 'serum', meaning 'evening or later time'.

Late in Others Languages

Greekαργά
"Αργά" does not only mean "late", it can also mean "slowly".
Hmongtuaj lig
The Hmong word "tuaj lig" also means "night" or "evening".
Kurdishdereng
The Kurdish word "dereng" derives from the Persian word "derang", which also means "late".
Turkishgeç
Geç can also mean "difficult" or (in Ottoman Turkish) "to pass".
Xhosamva
The word Mva can be used in a variety of ways, both in its original context as well as in the sense of 'overstaying one's welcome'.
Yiddishשפּעט
The Yiddish term "שפּעט" also bears alternate meanings like "delayed" or "overripe".
Zulusekwephuzile
The word "sekwephuzile" in Zulu is derived from the root "kwephuza," meaning "to be late or delayed."
Assameseপলম
Aymarajayp'u
Bhojpuriदेरी
Dhivehiލަހުން
Dogriचिरें
Filipino (Tagalog)huli na
Guaranika'aru
Ilocanonaladaw
Kriolet
Kurdish (Sorani)درەنگ
Maithiliदेरी
Meiteilon (Manipuri)ꯊꯦꯡꯕ
Mizotlai
Oromobarfachuu
Odia (Oriya)ବିଳମ୍ବ
Quechuaunayay
Sanskritविलम्बेन
Tatarсоң
Tigrinyaረፋድ
Tsongahlwela

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