Japanese word

遅れ

Pronunciation

Romajiokure

Meaning

  • noundelay

Example

電車の遅れは五分です。den sha no oku re wa go fun de su

The train is five minutes late.

Illustration for 遅れ (delay)

More examples

作業の遅れを取り戻すため、今日は少し長く働きます。sa gyō no oku re o to ri modo su ta me kyō wa suko shi naga ku hatara ki ma su

I will work a little longer today to make up for the delay.

Core concept

Describes something that is later or less advanced than the point it was expected to reach.

Common phrases

  • 電車の遅れden sha no oku re

    train delay

  • 遅れが出るoku re ga de ru

    there is a delay

  • 遅れを取り戻すoku re o to ri modo su

    make up for the delay

  • 大幅な遅れō haba na oku re

    major delay

Similar words

遅延chien: A delay in the movement, delivery, or completion of something.
滞りtodokōri: A state in which work, progress, or a process fails to move forward smoothly.
遅滞chitai: A delay in carrying out an action or reaching a required stage.

Definition in Japanese

予定された時刻または進み具合から後にずれること。yo tei sa re ta ji koku ma ta wa susu mi gu ai ka ra ato ni zu re ru ko to

Word origin

遅れ (okure) is formed from the Japanese verb 遅れる (okureru, "to be late or fall behind") as a noun expressing the resulting state.

Usage tips

  • Train stations in Japan commonly announce an 遅れ (okure) in minutes, so the word often appears when people discuss delays during travel.

Other meanings

  • falling behindnoun
  • lagnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word