Förlåt, jag kommer några minuter sent.

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Breakdown of Förlåt, jag kommer några minuter sent.

• komma: to come
• sent: late
• några: a few

Questions & Answers about Förlåt, jag kommer några minuter sent.

Why is it “sent” and not “sen”?

Swedish distinguishes between the adjective and the adverb:

• sen = adjective “late.” It describes a person or thing: Jag är sen (I’m late).
• sent = adverb “late(ly).” It describes how you come/arrive: Jag kommer sent (I arrive late).

In your sentence, sent modifies the verb kommer, so the adverb is correct. Note: in casual speech many Swedes say Jag kommer sen, but in careful writing sent is the norm. Also compare: Det är sent (“It is late”), where neuter makes it look the same as the adverb.

Is the present tense “kommer” really future here? Could I say “ska” or “kommer att”?

Yes—Swedish often uses the present for near-future plans: Jag kommer snart = “I’ll come soon.” Alternatives:

• Jag blir några minuter sen. Very idiomatic for “I’ll be a few minutes late.”
• Jag kommer att bli några minuter sen. Also correct; a bit more formal/explicit.
• Avoid Jag ska komma några minuter sent; it can sound like you intend to be late. If you use ska, better is Jag ska vara/kommer att vara sen, but even then most natives prefer blir in this context.

What’s the difference between “jag kommer sent”, “jag blir sen”, and “jag är sen”?