ci4 dou3遲到迟到
Jyutpingci4 dou3
Yalechìh dou
Definition
To arrive late; to reach a destination after the agreed or scheduled time.
colloquialtimedaily actions
How it's used
Use this verb to describe arriving after a scheduled time for appointments, work, or school. It functions as a verb, so it often takes aspect markers like 咗 to indicate the action of being late has already occurred. It is common to follow it with a duration, such as 遲到咗半個鐘, to specify exactly how much time was missed.
Examples
I accidentally arrived ten minutes late today.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using it as an adjective to describe a person who is habitually late; instead, use 遲到大王 or simply say someone 成日遲到.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
