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Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Disculpe, he llegado tarde. - Sorry, I'm late.

Hardcore Spanish (Spain)
/Lesson 80
/Disculpe, he llegado tarde.

Disculpe, he llegado tarde.

Word

Disculpe, he llegado tarde.

Meaning

Sorry, I'm late.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Spanish (Spain)

Lesson

Breakdown of Disculpe, he llegado tarde.

to have arrived

Questions & Answers about Disculpe, he llegado tarde.

What does Disculpe mean here?

Disculpe means something like Excuse me or Please forgive me.

In this sentence, it is being used as a polite way to get the other person’s attention and apologize before giving the reason: I’ve arrived late.

It comes from the verb disculpar = to excuse / to forgive.

Why is it Disculpe and not Disculpa?

Disculpe is the formal form, used with usted.
Disculpa is the informal form, used with tú.

So:

Disculpe = polite / formal / respectful
Disculpa = informal / familiar

In Spain, you would use Disculpe with someone you do not know well, a teacher, an older person, or in a professional situation.

Why does the sentence use he llegado instead of llegué?

He llegado is the present perfect: I have arrived. In Spain, this tense is very commonly used for actions connected to the present moment.

Here, the speaker is apologizing for something that has just happened or is still relevant now: they are late right now.

Compare:

He llegado tarde = I’ve arrived late / I’m late; I arrived late
Llegué tarde = I arrived late

In many parts of Spain, he llegado tarde sounds very natural in this kind of immediate situation.

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Does he llegado tarde literally mean I have arrived late?

Yes, literally it does. But in natural English, you would often translate it simply as:

I’m late
I arrived late
Sorry I’m late

So even though the Spanish structure is I have arrived late, the best English translation depends on the situation.

Why is there no yo in he llegado tarde?

Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb form already shows who is doing the action.

he llegado clearly means I have arrived

So yo is not necessary. You could say Yo he llegado tarde, but it would usually sound unnecessary unless you want emphasis, contrast, or clarification.

Why is it tarde and not tardío/tardía or something else?

Here, tarde is an adverb, meaning late.

It describes how the person arrived:

llegar tarde = to arrive late

Because it is an adverb here, it does not change for gender or number.

Compare:

He llegado tarde = I arrived late
La hora tardía = the late hour

In the sentence you gave, tarde is the fixed form you want.

Is llegar tarde a set expression?

Yes. Llegar tarde is the normal way to say to arrive late.

Examples:

Siempre llegas tarde. = You always arrive late.
Llegué tarde a clase. = I arrived late to class.

It is a very common and useful expression.

Could I also say Perdón or Lo siento instead of Disculpe?

Yes, depending on the tone.

Common options are:

Disculpe = polite, formal, slightly more careful
Perdón = Sorry / Excuse me, very common
Lo siento = I’m sorry, often sounds a bit more emotional or sincere

Disculpe, he llegado tarde.
Perdón, he llegado tarde.
Lo siento, he llegado tarde.

All are possible, but Disculpe is especially appropriate if you want to sound respectful.

How would this sentence sound in a more informal situation?

You would normally change Disculpe to Disculpa if speaking to one person informally.

So:

Disculpa, he llegado tarde.

If you are talking to friends or people your age in a casual setting, this is more natural.

How is he pronounced here?

The h in Spanish is silent, so he is pronounced roughly like eh.

So:

he llegado sounds like eh yeh-GAH-do (very roughly)

Also, ll in most of Spain is usually pronounced like y in many modern accents, though exact pronunciation can vary by region.

Is this a complete and natural apology on its own?

Yes, it is completely natural and can stand on its own.

Disculpe, he llegado tarde. is a clear, polite apology.

If you want to sound a bit fuller or more apologetic, you could add something like:

Disculpe, he llegado tarde. Ha habido mucho tráfico.
Excuse me, I’ve arrived late. There was a lot of traffic.

But the original sentence is already correct and natural.

Could I say Estoy tarde instead?

No. Estoy tarde is not the normal way to say I’m late in Spanish.

Spanish usually expresses this idea with llegar tarde:

He llegado tarde
Llego tarde
Llegué tarde

You may also hear Voy tarde = I’m running late, especially when the person has not arrived yet.

What is the difference between he llegado tarde and llego tarde?

They are related, but not the same.

he llegado tarde = I have arrived late / I arrived late
llego tarde = I am arriving late / I arrive late / I’m late

If you are already there and apologizing for being late, he llegado tarde works very well.

If you are on the way or speaking more generally about the situation, llego tarde may fit better.

On the phone before arriving: Llego tarde.
After arriving: Disculpe, he llegado tarde.

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