late
“late” means “beats” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
beatsAlso: pulses
📝 In Action
Mi corazón late rápido cuando estoy nervioso.
A2My heart beats fast when I am nervous.
El médico escucha cómo late su corazón.
B1The doctor listens to how his heart beats.
Word Connections
throbs
📝 In Action
Me late la herida del brazo.
B1My arm wound is throbbing.
Word Connections
to have a hunchAlso: to appeal to
📝 In Action
Me late que va a pasar algo bueno.
B2I have a hunch that something good is going to happen.
¿Te late ir al cine?
B2Does going to the movies sound good to you?
Word Connections
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: late
Question 1 of 2
If someone in Mexico asks '¿Te late?', what are they asking?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
📚 Etymology
From the Latin word 'blattire', which originally meant to babble or bark. Over time, it came to describe the repetitive, rhythmic sound and movement of the heart.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'late' mean the same thing in Spanish as it does in English?
No! This is a common mistake. In English, 'late' means not on time. In Spanish, 'late' is a verb form meaning 'it beats' (from the verb latir). To say 'not on time' in Spanish, use 'tarde'.
Is 'late' a regular verb?
Yes, the verb it comes from, 'latir', follows all the standard rules for verbs ending in -ir.