迟到 (chídào) — to be late; to arrive late
HSK 2 | verb | verb-object compound meaning to arrive or show up after the expected time
迟到 (chídào)
迟到 is a verb-object compound: 迟 (chí) means "late/slow" and 到 (dào) means "to arrive." Together they express arriving or showing up after the expected time. Because it is a verb-object compound, time expressions and 了 attach after the whole word.
Meanings
- [verb] To be late; to arrive late. Used for being late to a scheduled event, class, meeting, or appointment.
Example Sentences
对不起，我迟到了。 Duìbuqǐ, wǒ chídào le. Sorry, I am late.
不要迟到，会议八点开始。 Bùyào chídào, huìyì bā diǎn kāishǐ. Don't be late; the meeting starts at eight.
他今天迟到了三十分钟。 Tā jīntiān chídào le sānshí fēnzhōng. He was thirty minutes late today.
你为什么迟到？因为堵车了。 Nǐ wèishénme chídào? Yīnwèi dǔchē le. Why were you late? Because of a traffic jam.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 经常迟到 (jīngcháng chídào) | to be late often |
| 迟到了 (chídào le) | was/arrived late |
| 不要迟到 (bùyào chídào) | don't be late |
| 迟到的原因 (chídào de yuányīn) | the reason for being late |
| 无故迟到 (wúgù chídào) | to be late without reason |
Memory Hook
迟 looks heavy and slow, like it is dragging its feet. 到 means to arrive. Put them together and you have someone who dragged their feet and arrived late.