How to Say "is late" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “is late” is “tarda” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
¿Cuánto tiempo tarda el tren de Madrid a Barcelona?
How long does the train from Madrid to Barcelona take?
Ella siempre tarda en responder mis mensajes.
She always takes a long time to answer my messages.
Si no apuras, el proyecto tarda una semana más.
If you don't hurry, the project will take one more week.
Using 'tardar' with 'en'
When you say what action is taking time, you almost always use the little word 'en' followed by the base form of the second verb: 'Tarda en comer' (He takes time to eat).
Impersonal Time
When asking about time duration for things like travel, the subject is often implied ('it'), so you use 'tarda': '¿Cuánto tarda?' (How long does it take?)
Using 'ser' instead of 'tardar'
Mistake: “El proceso es mucho tiempo.”
Correction: El proceso tarda mucho tiempo. (Use 'tardar' to express the duration of an action or event, not the verb 'to be'.)
Related Translations
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