Learn Hardcore Ukrainian: Цього разу ми не спізнилися.

It’s genitive singular. The base phrase is цей раз (this time), and Ukrainian commonly uses the genitive without a preposition to express time circumstances like this. So:

цей раз → genitive цього разу
Other parallels: цього року (this year), того дня (that day), минулого разу (last time)

Can I say у цей раз or на цей раз instead of цього разу?

у цей раз is a calque from Russian and sounds non‑idiomatic in standard Ukrainian. Avoid it.
на цей раз is acceptable and common, especially with a nuance like “just this once/this time as an exception.” In neutral statements about when something happened, цього разу is the most idiomatic. In your sentence, both Цього разу ми не… and На цей раз ми не… are fine.

Where does the stress fall, and how do you pronounce the sentence?

Stress:

Цьо́го ра́зу ми не спізни́лися.

Approximate IPA:

[ˈt͡sʲoɦo ˈrɑzu mɪ nɛ spʲizˈnɪlɪsʲɑ]

Notes:

г is [ɦ], a voiced h (not [g]).
ць is a soft [t͡sʲ]; the soft sign ь in цього marks that softness before о.
и is [ɪ] (as in English bit).
Final -ся is [sʲa].

Why does the verb end with -лися? What is -ся doing?

-ся is the reflexive/postfix and is part of the verb спізнитися. Here it doesn’t mean “ourselves”; many Ukrainian intransitives naturally use -ся to express states or changes.
-ли marks past plural. So:
- спізнився (he, masc sg)
- спізнилася (she, fem sg)
- спізнилося (it, neut sg)
- спізнилися (we/you/they, plural)

Is спізнитися the same as запізнитися? Which should I learn first?

They’re near‑synonyms meaning “to be late.” запізнитися is the more neutral, widespread choice across Ukraine; спізнитися is also correct and especially common in the west. Conjugation and usage patterns are the same. As a learner, make запізнитися your default, but expect to hear both. Imperfective partners: запізнюватися / спізнюватися.

Why use perfective past (спізнилися) and not imperfective (спізнювалися)?

Perfective focuses on a single, complete event (including a one‑off event that did not happen). Here the idea is that the expected lateness did not occur: ми не спізнилися. Use the imperfective for ongoing or habitual behavior:

Ми не запізнювалися цього семестру.

Can I move цього разу elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes, and the placement affects emphasis:

Цього разу ми не спізнилися. Fronted time frame; contrast with previous times.
Ми цього разу не спізнилися. Neutral, subject‑first.
Ми не спізнилися цього разу. End position highlights the contrast with other times.

How do I say we were late for something or by a certain amount of time?

Use these patterns:

Late for an event/vehicle: запізнитися/спізнитися на + Accusative
- ми запізнилися на поїзд / на урок / на зустріч
Late by a duration: на + Accusative (amount)
- ми запізнилися на десять хвилин
Late with something: з(і) + Instrumental
- він запізнився з доповіддю / з оплатою

Can I drop the pronoun ми?

Often Ukrainian omits subject pronouns, but past tense forms don’t show person (only number and gender). Спізнилися could mean we/you/they. So Цього разу не спізнилися is grammatical but potentially ambiguous. Keep ми if you need clarity.

How exactly is the past tense formed here?

From спізнитися you get the past stem спізни-, then add past endings and -ся:

masc sg: спізнився
fem sg: спізнилася
neut sg: спізнилося
plural: спізнилися Only the masculine singular shows -в-; the plural uses -ли. The negative particle не comes before the verb: ми не спізнилися.

I see forms like спізнились in texts. Is that okay?

That’s a colloquial contraction of -ся to -сь. It’s fine in informal writing and dialogue: ми спізнились. In careful or formal writing, use the full -ся: ми спізнилися.

Can I use час instead of раз for this meaning of time?

No. раз means an instance/occurrence; цього разу = this time (this instance). час refers to time as a period; цього часу means “at that time/during that period,” which is different.

What nuance does таки add if I say Цього разу ми таки не спізнилися?

таки adds emphasis like “after all/indeed/in the end,” often implying previous failed attempts or expectations. It underscores the contrast: this time we really did manage not to be late.