Learn Italian: Arrivi in ritardo all'appuntamento. - You arrive late to the appointment.

We need to say 'to the', so we combine the preposition a (to) with a definite article (the). The word appuntamento starts with a vowel, so its article is l'. When you combine a + l', it forms the combined word all'.

Why is 'late' translated as two words, in ritardo?

In Italian, being late is usually expressed using the phrase in ritardo, which literally translates to 'in delay' or 'in lateness'. You will frequently see this phrase used with verbs like arrivare (to arrive) or essere (to be).

Where is the word for 'you' in this sentence?

The word for 'you' (tu) is left out because the verb ending already tells us who is doing the action. The -i ending on the verb arrivi specifically means 'you arrive'.

Could this sentence also mean 'You are arriving late to the appointment'?

Yes! The regular Italian present tense covers both the simple present ('you arrive') and the present continuous ('you are arriving'). You can use this exact sentence for both meanings depending on the context.