#224 Telling Someone You Will Be Late for a Meeting｜French Daily Life Phrases

When you are delayed due to traffic, public transportation issues, or work commitments, it is not uncommon to arrive late for a meeting.

In such situations, it is important to inform the other person as early as possible, apologize, and give an estimated arrival time.

In this section, I will explain useful French expressions for telling someone you will be late, along with a conversation example and key grammatical points.

Dialogue

A

Je suis désolé, je vais avoir un peu de retard.
（I am sorry, I am going to be a little late.）

B

D’accord, pas de problème.
（Alright, no problem.）

A

Il y a beaucoup de trafic en ce moment.
（There is a lot of traffic right now.）

B

Je vois. Tu arrives dans combien de temps ?
（I see. How long will it take you to arrive?）

A

Je pense arriver dans une quinzaine de minutes.
（I think I will arrive in about fifteen minutes.）

B

Très bien, je t’attends ici.
（Alright, I will wait for you here.）

1. Informing That You Will Be Late

When you realize that you will be late, I recommend informing the other person as soon as possible and in a concise manner.

The structure “je vais avoir” combines the present tense of “aller” with the infinitive “avoir,” and is known as the “near future.”

In French, the near future is formed with “aller + infinitive” and is used to describe something that is about to happen in the near future.

Therefore, “je vais avoir du retard” expresses a prediction based on the current situation, meaning “I am likely to be late.”

If you say “j’ai du retard”, it means that you are already late at the present moment. In contrast, “je vais avoir du retard” indicates that you are not yet late, but will be if the current situation continues.

In addition, French often uses the structure “avoir + noun” to describe a state. The expression “avoir du retard” means “to be late.”

Notice also the use of “un peu de retard” instead of “du retard.”

The phrase “un peu de” softens the statement and makes the delay sound less serious, which helps create a more polite impression.

2. Explaining the Reason for the Delay

When explaining the reason for being late, I recommend keeping it brief and simply describing the current situation.

The expression “il y a” means “there is” or “there are,” and is used to describe a situation objectively.

It is especially useful when referring to external circumstances, such as traffic or delays.

In this case, “Il y a beaucoup de trafic” literally means “there is a lot of traffic,” and conveys the idea of heavy congestion.

The phrase “beaucoup de” indicates a large quantity and modifies the noun “trafic.”

The addition of “en ce moment” (right now) clarifies that the situation is currently happening.

3. Giving an Estimated Arrival Time

After informing the other person of the delay, you should indicate how long it will take you to arrive. This helps the other person decide whether to wait or adjust their plans.

The structure “Je pense + infinitive” is used to express your expectation or estimate.

In this sentence, “Je pense arriver…” conveys the nuance that this is your current estimate, and that the actual arrival time may vary slightly.

The expression “dans une quinzaine de minutes” means “in about fifteen minutes.”

In French, “dans + time” is used to indicate a point in the future.

The word “quinzaine” refers to an approximate quantity of fifteen, so it implies a flexible estimate rather than an exact time.

It is also worth noting that “quinzaine” can mean “two weeks” (around fourteen days), as in:

Summary