delay
The French word 'retard' is used to express a delay in time or schedule. It can be used in various contexts such as 'un retard de train' (a train delay), 'retarder un projet' (to delay a project), or 'retarder un paiement' (to delay a payment). However, it's important to note that 'retard' can also mean 'slow' or 'late' in certain contexts, so the usage can vary based on the situation.
Sorry, I am late.
This is a basic way to apologize for being late in French. The word 'retard' is a commonly used term in French to express that someone is late and has nothing to do with the offensive term in English.
He is always late for the meeting.
This sentence uses 'retard' to indicate that a person is consistently not on time for a meeting. Offered without any inference to a person’s mental abilities or speed of processing whatsoever, it is purely an expression of tardiness. In French, 'du retard à' means 'late for'.
Due to the train delay, I missed my flight.
In this French sentence, 'retard' refers to delay. The sentence suggests that because of the delay (retard) of the train, the subject missed their flight. Unlike its English counterpart, 'retard' in French doesn’t carry any belittling or demeaning connotation.