Llegamos tarde debido a la lluvia.

We arrived late due to the rain.

Breakdown of Llegamos tarde debido a la lluvia.

• nosotros: we
• llegar: to arrive
• tarde: late
• la lluvia: the rain
• debido a: due to

Questions & Answers about Llegamos tarde debido a la lluvia.

What tense is llegamos, and why can it mean both “we arrive” and “we arrived”?

In Spanish, the nosotros form of llegar is the same in the present and the preterite: llegamos. Context decides:

• Present: We arrive/We are arriving (habitual or scheduled action).
• Preterite: We arrived (completed past action). With a specific cause like debido a la lluvia, it’s usually a one-time past event. Add a time word if you want to make it explicit: Ayer llegamos tarde debido a la lluvia.

Why is it llegamos tarde and not estuvimos tarde?

Spanish expresses being late with action verbs like llegar (to arrive) or ir (to go), not with estar. So you say:

• Llegamos tarde (We arrived late), not Estuvimos tarde. You can also say Estamos retrasados (We are running late) in some contexts, but it’s not the same structure as English.

Does tarde here mean “afternoon”?

No. Without an article, tarde is an adverb meaning “late.” With the article, la tarde means “the afternoon.”

• Llegamos tarde = We arrived late.
• Por la tarde = In the afternoon.

What does debido a mean, and is it natural in Latin American Spanish?

Debido a means “due to/because of.” It’s fine in everyday speech and common in writing. It sounds a bit more formal than por, but it’s very natural. Synonyms:

• por (short, very common)
• a causa de (neutral)
• por culpa de (adds a sense of blame)

Should it be debido a or debida a?

In the causal phrase debido a + noun, it’s treated as a fixed, invariable prepositional phrase, so debido a is standard. Use agreement only when it’s a true adjective modifying a noun:

• Prepositional: Llegamos tarde debido a la lluvia.
• Adjective: La demora debida a la lluvia fue larga. (Here debida agrees with demora.)

Can I say debido a que + a clause?

Yes. Use debido a que before a full clause:

• Llegamos tarde debido a que llovía/estaba lloviendo. You can also use porque, ya que, or puesto que with a clause:
• Llegamos tarde porque llovía. But don’t use porque with a noun: not porque la lluvia.

Could I just use por instead of debido a?

Yes: Llegamos tarde por la lluvia. It’s shorter and very common. Nuances:

• por: neutral and colloquial.
• a causa de: neutral/formal.
• por culpa de: implies blame or annoyance.

Is Debido a la lluvia, llegamos tarde okay, or does the cause have to go at the end?

It’s fine to put the cause first. Add a comma when the cause comes first:

• Debido a la lluvia, llegamos tarde.
• Llegamos tarde debido a la lluvia.
• Llegamos, debido a la lluvia, tarde. (possible but less common)

Why la lluvia and not una lluvia?

Spanish often uses the definite article for known or generic causes: la lluvia = the rain that happened/that we’re both aware of. Una lluvia would sound like “some rain” or a particular shower being introduced as new information. La is the default here.

How do I add the destination?

Use a with the place:

• Llegamos tarde a la fiesta.
• Llegamos tarde al trabajo. (a + el = al)
• Llegamos tarde a casa.

Should I add nos (e.g., nos llegamos)? Is llegarse used here?

No. For “to arrive (late),” use plain llegar: Llegamos tarde. The reflexive llegarse exists regionally with meanings like “to drop by,” but not for this sentence.

What’s the difference between llegamos tarde and hemos llegado tarde?

Both can refer to a recent completed action, but in Latin America the preterite (llegamos) is preferred in conversation. Hemos llegado tarde (present perfect) is more frequent in Spain for very recent past or when it still matters now.

When would I use the imperfect llegábamos?

Use llegábamos tarde for habitual or ongoing past situations, or background:

• Habitual: En esa época llegábamos tarde debido a la lluvia.
• Background: Llegábamos tarde porque llovía mucho.

Pronunciation tips for llegamos, debido, and lluvia?

• ll is usually pronounced like English y in most of Latin America: lluvia ≈ “YOO-vya.” In some areas (Argentina/Uruguay), it can sound like zh/sh.
• llegamos ≈ “yeh-GAH-mohs.” The g before a is a hard g (as in “go”).
• debido ≈ “deh-BEE-doh.” In Spanish, b and v sound the same.

Can I say porque la lluvia?

No. Porque must be followed by a verb clause: porque llovía/porque estaba lloviendo. With a noun, use por or debido a: por la lluvia / debido a la lluvia.

Do any words change if the speakers are all women?

No. Verbs don’t change for gender, and tarde is invariable. Llegamos tarde is the same regardless of the group’s gender.

Do I need a comma before debido a la lluvia?

Not in the original order: Llegamos tarde debido a la lluvia (no comma). Use a comma if the cause comes first: Debido a la lluvia, llegamos tarde.

What are some natural alternatives?

• Llegamos con retraso por la lluvia.
• Nos retrasamos por la lluvia.
• Llegamos tarde por el mal tiempo.
• Llegamos tarde por la tormenta.

Any differences between Spain and Latin America for this sentence?

• Grammar and wording here are universal.
• Variation you might notice: present perfect usage (Spain uses hemos llegado more; Latin America uses llegamos more) and pronunciation of ll. The causal phrases (por/debido a/a causa de) work the same.