늦다 (neutda) Conjugation: Meaning, Forms & Examples

Key Facts

• Hangul: 늦다 (neutda)
• Meaning: late
• Level: A1
• Part of speech: adjective
• Stem: 늦
• Conjugation class: regular
• Grammar: Takes 이/가 for the subject and 에 for what one is late for (수업에 늦다).
• Usage: Very common A1 word. It is an adjective in form (present 늦어요), but the past 늦었어요 is the usual way to say 'I am late'.

What Does 늦다 Mean?

The core idea is missing a point in time. 약속에 늦다 means to be late for an appointment: 에 marks what you are late for (수업에 늦다) and 이/가 marks who or what is late. The standard dictionary lists 늦다 both as a verb ('to be late for', as in 학교에 늦었어요, with the modifier 늦는) and as an adjective ('late', as in 늦은 시간), so you will see two modifier shapes in print.

Although 늦었어요 is a past form, it is the usual way to say 'I am late': by the time you say it, the deadline has already gone.

Senses:

• late: Describes being behind a time or schedule, e.g. 약속에 늦다 (late for an appointment).

How Do You Pronounce 늦다?

The stem ends in ㅈ, but a final ㅈ is pronounced as a plain ㄷ stop, and that stop tenses the next sound. So 늦다 is [늗따] and 늦습니다 is [늗씀니다]. When a vowel follows, the ㅈ is released again: 늦어요 is [느저요] and 늦었어요 is [느저써요].

How Do You Use 늦다 in a Sentence?

늦어서 gives the cause (the bus) and the second 늦었어요 reports the result for the speaker. The same word appears twice with two jobs.

내일은 sets tomorrow as the topic, and 늦지 않아요 is the long negative, which sounds like a promise to be on time.

늦으면 is the conditional, and 전화해 주세요 is the request that follows: the typical thing a friend says when you are running behind.

How Does Neutda Conjugation Work?

늦다 is regular. The stem 늦 never changes, and its last vowel ㅡ is not a bright vowel, so 어 is chosen: 늦어요, 늦었어요. Because the stem ends in a consonant, the endings with an optional 으 keep it (늦으세요, 늦으면, 늦은, 늦을 거예요). The short negative 안 늦어요 and the long negative 늦지 않아요 are both natural.

For a word meaning 'late', -고 싶다 has no cell, because that ending attaches to action verbs.

Sound Changes

Common Mistake

Meaning contrast (not a grammar error): 늦어요 vs 느려요

For 'I walk slowly', say: ✓ 느려요

Why: 늦어요 is correct Korean, but it means late: behind a time or a deadline. Speed is 느리다, so a slow walker is 느려요. Both words involve being behind, which is why they get mixed up: 늦다 measures time against a deadline and 느리다 measures speed.

Where Does 늦다 Turn up in Daily Talk?

Pair 늦다 with 에 for the event you missed the start of: 약속에 늦다, 수업에 늦다, 학교에 늦다. For a stricter, more formal report of arriving late to school or work, the noun-verb 지각하다 is used. The same situations bring in 빠르다 (fast), 이르다 (early) and 기다리다 (to wait).

What Is Easy to Confuse with 늦다?

Warning a Friend That You Will Be Late

Mina is still on the way to a café. She tells Jisu about a delay before their meeting time.

Mina

Jisu

Mina

Jisu

늦어서 explains the cause, and 늦을 거예요 predicts a late arrival. 얼마나 asks about the size of the delay. 십 분 정도 gives the friend useful information: about ten minutes. A duration can stand directly before the late-arrival form; it does not need the event marker 에.

Already Late or Likely to Be Late?

늦었어요 reports that the relevant time has already passed. 늦을 거예요 predicts being late, so it suits a message sent while you are still travelling. The difference matters to the person waiting: one reports a missed time, while the other gives advance notice of an expected delay.

죄송해요 or 미안해요 adds the apology; 늦었어요 alone only states the lateness. In a work message, name the expected delay as well as the cause. The dialogue's 십 분 정도 늦을 거예요 is more informative than mentioning a bus without saying how that affects your arrival.

Useful Combinations beyond Appointments

늦은 시간 means “a late hour” or “a late time”. It can describe the time of an evening phone call even when nobody missed an appointment. 늦은 밤 means “late at night”. In these phrases, 늦은 describes the part of the day rather than someone's failure to arrive on time.

너무 늦었어요 can mean “it’s too late”. In a drama, the missed opportunity may concern an apology or decision rather than a train departure. The situation supplies the deadline. 벌써 늦었어요 adds “already”, while 아직 안 늦었어요 means “it isn’t too late yet”.

On a school attendance record, 지각 names lateness as a category. In everyday messages, 늦다 lets you explain the person, event and delay in one sentence. Both can concern attendance, but a report label and a message to a waiting friend serve different purposes.

See time expressions for words that help distinguish a late hour from a delay.

Mini Drill: Choose the Time Reference

1. Say “I’m already late” using 벌써 and the polite past.
2. Predict being late using the polite future.
3. Complete “a late hour”: ____ 시간.
4. Complete “if you are late”: ____.

Quick Self-Test

1. Which form gives advance notice: 늦었어요 or 늦을 거예요?
2. Does 늦은 밤 mean someone has missed an appointment?
3. What does 십 분 정도 tell the person waiting?

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Say "I'm Late" in Korean?

늦었어요. It is a past form, but it is the normal way to say you are late right now.

Is 늦다 a Verb or an Adjective?

Both. The dictionary lists a verb use (학교에 늦었어요, modifier 늦는) and an adjective use (늦은 시간). This page treats it as an adjective, and the conjugation table is the same either way except for the present modifier.

How Does 늦다 Differ from 느리다?

늦다 means late against a time or deadline. 느리다 means slow in speed, so for a slow walker the everyday word is 느려요.

How Do I Say "If You Are Late, Call Me"?

늦으면 전화해 주세요. 늦으면 is the conditional and 주세요 makes it a polite request.

Which Words Are Related to 늦다?

The entries closest to 늦다 (late) are 빠르다 (fast), 이르다 (early), 느리다 (slow), 기다리다 (to wait).

What Should You Learn Next?

빠르다 and 이르다 describe the other side of time, and 기다리다 is what you do while someone else is late. To see why 'late' takes the form 늦어요, read how to conjugate the present tense; the Korean verb conjugator tests other stems, and the Korean verb dictionary lists the rest of the family.