► 動詞
遅れる [おくれる] meaning: late rank: 1
☆ 工事は遅れている ⇨ The construction is behind the schedule
☆ 彼は仕事に遅れた ⇨ He was late for work
☆ 飛行機は遅れて到着した ⇨ The plane arrived late
遅刻 [ちこく] [遅刻する] meaning: late rank: 2
☆ 彼は学校に遅刻した ⇨ He was late for school (☛ Late for school or work)
更ける [(2)ふける] [liter] meaning: late rank: 2
☆ もう夜も更けた ⇨ It is really late at night (☛ Only about a night)
押す [(2)おす] [coll] meaning: late rank: 3
☆ 工程が押している ⇨ The production schedule is lagging behind
☆ 時間が押している ⇨ We’re behind the schedule
出遅れる [でおくれる] meaning: late rank: 3
☆ 彼等は電気自動車の開発に出遅れた ⇨ They were late in development of electric cars
後発 [こうはつ] [後発する] meaning: late rank: 4
☆ その会社は後発したが既に競争相手を追い抜いた ⇨ The company started later than the competitions but has already surpassed them
立ち遅れる [たちおくれる] meaning: late rank: 4
☆ 彼等は電気自動車の開発に立ち遅れた ⇨ They were slow to start developing electric cars
► 成句
祭り [まつり] [後の祭り] meaning: late rank: 3
☆ 今頃悔やんでも後の祭りだ ⇨ Now is too late to regret (☛ Literally means “late ritual”)
覆水 [ふくすい] meaning: late rank: 4
☆ 覆水盆に返らず ⇨ Spilled water won’t return to the tray. What’s done is done (☛ A common phrase)
► 名詞
遅れ [おくれ] meaning: late rank: 1
☆ 今からでも遅れを取り戻すことは可能だ ⇨ It is still possible to catch up from this point
遅れ [おくれ] [後れを取る] meaning: late rank: 1
☆ 彼等は電気自動車の開発で競争相手に遅れを取った ⇨ They got behind the competitors in development of electric cars
遅刻 [ちこく] meaning: late rank: 2
☆ 彼は遅刻が多い ⇨ He is often late (for school, work) (☛ Late for school or work)
奥手 [おくて] meaning: late rank: 4
☆ 彼女は奥手で二十後半まで処女だった ⇨ She was a late-bloomer and was a virgin until her late 20’s (☛ Often about sexuality)
後塵 [こうじん] [後塵を拝する] meaning: late rank: 4
☆ 彼等は新技術の開発で競争相手に後塵を拝した ⇨ They were left in the dust by the competitors in the development of the new technology
後手 [ごて] [後手に回る] meaning: late rank: 4
☆ 政府の対応はいつも後手に回っている ⇨ The government’s actions are always one step late
後手後手 [ごてごて] meaning: late rank: 4
☆ 政府の対応は後手後手だ ⇨ The countermeasures taken by the government are one step too late, too reactive
► 形容詞
遅い [(2)おそい] meaning: late rank: 1
☆ 今日はもう遅いから明日にしよう ⇨ There’s not much time left today, so let’s do it tomorrow
☆ 今頃後悔してももう遅い ⇨ It is too late to be sorry now
☆ 遅くなる前に出発しよう ⇨ Let’s leave before it gets too late
► 形容動詞
手遅れ [(1)ておくれ] meaning: late rank: 2
☆ 今更やってももう手遅れだ ⇨ It is too late to do it now (☛ Too late)
☆ 彼が病院に運ばれた時はもう手遅れだった ⇨ It was too late when he was taken to the hospital (☛ Too late)