Perdón, llego con retraso.

In Spanish, the present tense is often used for something happening right now or for a situation that is currently true. So llego con retraso literally looks like I arrive with delay, but naturally it is used more like I’m arriving late or I’m late.

It does not have to mean a habitual action like I usually arrive late. In this context, the situation makes it clear that it refers to the current moment.

Because Spanish usually drops subject pronouns when they are not needed. The ending -o in llego already tells you the subject is I.

So:

• llego = I arrive / I’m arriving
• yo llego = I arrive / I’m arriving, but with extra emphasis

You would include yo only if you want contrast or emphasis, for example:

• Yo llego con retraso, pero ella no.
  I’m late, but she isn’t.

Con retraso literally means with delay. It is a fixed and very common way to say that something happens later than expected.

You can use it with people, transport, events, and so on:

• El tren llega con retraso.
• Voy con retraso.
• La reunión empezó con retraso.

In this sentence, it simply means that the speaker is arriving later than planned.

Both are possible, but they are not always used in exactly the same way.

• Llego tarde = very common, direct, everyday way to say I’m late
• Llego con retraso = also correct, slightly more formal or more neutral in tone, almost like I’m arriving behind schedule

In everyday conversation, many people would probably say:

• Perdón, llego tarde.

But con retraso is still perfectly natural, especially if you want a slightly less blunt or slightly more formal phrasing.

Yes. Perdón works by itself as a quick apology, like Sorry or Excuse me in English.

It is very common in Spanish to use short apology words on their own:

• Perdón.
• Lo siento.
• Disculpa.
• Perdone.

Here, Perdón is functioning as a standalone apology before the explanation.

The comma separates the apology from the explanation that follows.

So the sentence is basically:

• Perdón, = Sorry,
• llego con retraso. = explanation of the problem

This is very natural punctuation in both Spanish and English when a short introductory word is followed by the main statement.

Yes. That would be correct.

The difference is mostly in tone:

• Perdón = quick, direct apology
• Lo siento = often sounds a bit more heartfelt or sincere
• Disculpa / disculpe = also common, especially when addressing someone directly

So all of these can work:

• Perdón, llego con retraso.
• Lo siento, llego con retraso.
• Disculpa, llego con retraso.
• Perdone, llego con retraso. (more formal)

It is fairly neutral. Perdón itself is not strongly formal or strongly informal, so the sentence can work in many situations.

That said, if you want to sound more formal in Spain, you might choose:

• Perdone, llego con retraso.
• Disculpe, llego con retraso.

If you are speaking to friends or people you know well, Perdón is completely fine.

It comes from the verb llegar, which means to arrive.

This is the first person singular present form:

• yo llego = I arrive / I’m arriving

Some useful forms are:

• llego = I arrive
• llegas = you arrive
• llega = he/she arrives, you arrive (formal)
• llegamos = we arrive
• llegáis = you all arrive (Spain)
• llegan = they arrive, you all arrive

Yes, it is possible, but it sounds a bit more focused on the action in progress: I’m in the process of arriving late.

In many everyday situations, Spanish simply prefers the simple present:

• Llego con retraso

rather than the progressive:

• Estoy llegando con retraso

The version with llego is usually more natural and idiomatic here.

Yes, depending on the context.

Spanish present tense can cover both ideas:

• you are currently arriving later than expected
• you are behind schedule right now

So if you send it in a message before arriving, it can feel like I’m running late. If you say it when you show up, it can feel like I’m late / I’ve arrived late.

Context tells you which nuance is intended.

Yes, but in casual everyday speech, many speakers in Spain would probably more often say one of these:

• Perdón, llego tarde.
• Perdona, llego tarde.
• Lo siento, llego tarde.
• Voy con retraso. if they have not arrived yet

So Perdón, llego con retraso is correct and understandable, but llego tarde may sound more common in ordinary conversation.

They are close, but not identical.

• Llego con retraso focuses on the arrival
• Voy con retraso focuses on being behind schedule in general

So:

• Perdón, llego con retraso.
  The emphasis is on the fact that your arrival is late.

• Perdón, voy con retraso.
  The emphasis is on the fact that you are delayed overall, often before you arrive.

If you are messaging someone while still on the way, voy con retraso is especially common.