Readings: チ (Onyomi), おく, おそ, おくらす (Kunyomi)
Meaning: Late, slow, to be late, to be slow
The kanji 遅 combines the radical 辶 (しんにょう), meaning “to go” or “walk,” with the phonetic component (音の省略形, related to 尺 and originally meaning “slow” or “to lengthen”). Together, they suggest “moving slowly” or “being behind schedule.”
View JLPT N3 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 遅 has 12 strokes. Start with the left part, 辶 (shinnyou), which is drawn with 3 strokes. First, a short vertical stroke, then a horizontal stroke with a hook, and finally a long sweeping stroke from top right to bottom left. Then, for the right part, begin with the top horizontal, then the vertical, followed by the two short horizontal strokes, and finish with the bottom horizontal stroke and the last vertical stroke.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 辶 |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 12 |
| JLPT Level | N3 |
| Grade | Junior High |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- チ (Chi)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- おそい (osoi)
- おくれる (okureru)
- おくらす (okurasu)
Common Words Using 遅
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 遅刻 | ちこく | lateness, tardiness |
| 遅延 | ちえん | delay, postponement |
| 遅滞 | ちたい | delay, lag, stagnation |
| 遅速 | ちそく | slow and fast, speed |
| 遅行 | ちこう | lagging, slow progress |
| 遅発 | ちはつ | late departure, late onset |
| 遅効性 | ちこうせい | slow-acting (e.g., medicine) |
| 遅々 | ちち | slowly, leisurely (often with と) |
| 遅鈍 | ちどん | slowness, dullness |
| 遅診 | ちしん | late diagnosis/consultation |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 遅い | おそい | slow, late |
| 遅れる | おくれる | to be late, to be delayed |
| 遅らす | おくらす | to delay, to postpone |
| 手遅れ | ておくれ | too late, belated |
| 遅咲き | おそざき | late blooming |
| 遅まきながら | おそまきながら | though late (used to introduce something that is late but still happening) |
| 遅番 | おそばん | late shift |
| 遅着 | おそづき | late arrival |
| 乗り遅れる | のりおくれる | to miss (a train, bus, etc.) |
| 夜が遅い | よるがおそい | it is late at night |
Example Sentences
Japanese: 電車が遅れています。
Kana: でんしゃがおくれています。
Romaji: Densha ga okurete imasu.
English: The train is delayed.
Japanese: 彼はいつも学校に遅れる。
Kana: かれはいつもがっこうにおくれる。
Romaji: Kare wa itsumo gakkou ni okureru.
English: He is always late for school.
Japanese: 会議に遅刻した。
Kana: かいぎにちこくした。
Romaji: Kaigi ni chikoku shita.
English: I was late for the meeting.
Japanese: 遅い時間まで勉強した。
Kana: おそいじかんまでべんきょうした。
Romaji: Osoi jikan made benkyou shita.
English: I studied until late.
Japanese: 出発を遅らせる。
Kana: しゅっぱつをおくらせる。
Romaji: Shuppatsu o okuraseru.
English: To delay the departure.
Japanese: 返事が遅くなり、申し訳ありません。
Kana: へんじがおそくなり、もうしわけありません。
Romaji: Henji ga osoku nari, moushiwake arimasen.
English: I apologize for the late reply.
Japanese: 桜の開花が例年より遅い。
Kana: さくらのかいかがれいねんよりおそい。
Romaji: Sakura no kaika ga reinen yori osoi.
English: The cherry blossoms are blooming later than usual this year.
Japanese: もう少しで手遅れになるところだった。
Kana: もうすこしでておくれになるところだった。
Romaji: Mou sukoshi de teokure ni naru tokoro datta.
English: It was almost too late.
Japanese: 交通渋滞で到着が遅れました。
Kana: こうつうじゅうたいでとうちゃくがおくれました。
Romaji: Koutsuu juutai de touchaku ga okuremashita.
English: My arrival was delayed due to a traffic jam.
Japanese: 時計が５分遅れている。
Kana: とけいがごふんおくれている。
Romaji: Tokei ga gofun okurete iru.
English: The clock is five minutes slow.
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