Breakdown of Il treno ha cinque minuti di ritardo.
Questions & Answers about Il treno ha cinque minuti di ritardo.
Why does this sentence use ha (has) when the English translation says the train is late?
In English, we say a train is late using the verb to be, but Italians often say it has a delay. They use the verb avere (to have) and the noun ritardo (delay). Literally, this sentence translates to: The train has five minutes of delay. Could I use the verb essere (to be) to say the train is late instead?
Yes! You can say il treno è in ritardo (the train is late). However, when you want to state the exact amount of time it is late by (like cinque minuti), the structure avere + time + di ritardo is the standard way to say it in Italian. Why do we need the word di before ritardo?
Because ritardo is a noun meaning delay. To link the specific amount of time to that noun, you use di (of). The phrase cinque minuti di ritardo literally means five minutes of delay. Can I use this same phrase if I am personally running late to meet someone?
Absolutely! You just change the verb to match yourself. You can say ho cinque minuti di ritardo (I am five minutes late). It is a very common phrase to use when texting or calling someone to let them know you are held up. Learn Il treno ha cinque minuti di ritardo and more in Italian
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