spät
late
Describes a point in time that is after the expected, usual, or agreed time.
EXAMPLE
Er kam wie immer zu spät zur Besprechung.
As always, he came late to the meeting.
spät
late
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Meanings
spät
late
Refers to an advanced part of a period of time, such as the day, the night, or a stage of life.
EXAMPLE
Es ist schon spät, wir sollten langsam nach Hause gehen.
It's already late; we should slowly start heading home.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'spät' (late) is the core of the word family around the topic of time. The verb 'sich verspäten' (to be late) and the noun 'die Verspätung' (delay) are derived from it.
EXAMPLE
Ich fürchte, ich werde mich heute um 10 Minuten verspäten.
I'm afraid I'll be 10 minutes late today.
Fixed combination: zu spät
To express that something happens after the right or possible time, 'spät' (late) is very often combined with 'zu' (too). The phrase 'zu spät kommen' (to come too late / to be late) is especially common.
EXAMPLE
Für eine Entschuldigung ist es jetzt zu spät.
It's too late now for an apology.
The comparative 'später'
The comparative form 'später' means 'at a future point in time' or 'later.' It is used very frequently in everyday life, especially in the farewell phrase 'Bis später!' (See you later!).
EXAMPLE
Ich kann jetzt nicht telefonieren, ich rufe dich später zurück.
I can't talk on the phone now; I'll call you back later.
Describing times of day
To describe an advanced part of a day, 'spät' (late) is placed as an adjective before a time expression. Typical combinations are 'am späten Nachmittag' (in the late afternoon) or 'am späten Abend' (late in the evening).
EXAMPLE
Die Party begann erst am späten Abend.
The party didn't start until late in the evening.
Compare with
spät vs verspätet
late / delayed
Spät and verspätet can both express that something happens later than expected. Spät can also simply refer to a late time, whereas verspätet explicitly marks a deviation from a scheduled or expected time. For a timetable or appointment, verspätet is therefore more precise.
spät
Der Zug kommt heute spät am Abend an.
The train arrives late in the evening today.
verspätet
Der Zug kommt heute verspätet am Bahnhof an.
The train arrives at the station late today.
In real life
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