Tard vs En retard
In English, the word “late” covers many situations. In French, that meaning is divided between tard vs en retard.
tard = late in timeen retard = late for something
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1. Tard – Late (time-related)
Use tard when you’re talking about time on the clock or how late something happens.
It often answers the question “When?”
Examples:
- Il est tard.
- It’s late.
- Je me couche tard.
- I go to bed late.
- Nous avons mangé tard.
- We ate late.
- Il travaille tard le soir.
- He works late in the evening.
- C’est trop tard.
- It’s too late.
2. En retard – Late for something (delay)
Use en retard when someone or something is not on time or behind schedule.
It answers the question “Late for what?”
Examples:
- Je suis en retard.
- I’m late.
- Le train est en retard.
- The train is late.
- Elle est en retard au travail.
- She’s late for work.
- Nous sommes en retard de dix minutes.
- We’re ten minutes late.
Structure:
- être en retard
- être en retard à / au / aux
- être en retard de + duration
3. Comparison chart
| Meaning | French | Example |
| Late in the day | tard | Il est tard. |
| Go to bed late | tard | Je me couche tard. |
| Late for school | en retard | Il est en retard à l’école. |
| Late by 10 minutes | en retard | En retard de dix minutes. |
4. What’s tricky for English speakers
A. “I’m late”
- English: I’m late.
- French: Je suis en retard. (Never tard)
B. “I worked late”
- English: I worked late.
- French: J’ai travaillé tard. (Never en retard)
C. “The meeting is late”
- English: The meeting is late.
- French depends on meaning:
- La réunion est en retard (started late)
- La réunion finit tard (ends late)
- La réunion est en retard (started late)
5. How to remember
- tard = time / clock / when
- en retard = delay / not on time / for something
If you can add “for something”, you need en retard.
If you’re talking about how late it is, you need tard.
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