Language is a powerful tool for communication, and each language has its own way of expressing ideas and emotions. If you’re learning French, you might come across words that don’t always have a direct translation in English. One such example is the word “retard.” In French, the word “retard” can simply mean “delay” or “lateness,” but it can also be used in a negative, offensive context, especially when referring to someone with a developmental disability. Because of this, it’s important to understand the different meanings and use the word carefully.
In this article, we’ll explore how to say “retard” in French and highlight the importance of using respectful language. We’ll also look at alternative words to express similar ideas in a more appropriate way. By the end, you’ll feel more confident in choosing the right words in your conversations, avoiding harm or misunderstanding.
How to Say “Retard” in French
The word “retard” in French has different meanings depending on the context. While it can mean “delay” or “lateness,” it is also offensive when used to describe someone with a developmental disability. It is important to be aware of how to use this word appropriately and explore more respectful alternatives. Below are various ways to express the idea of “retard” in French, with their meanings and example sentences to help you understand the different contexts in which they can be used.
1. Retard (Pronunciation: ruh-tahrd)
Meaning: Delay, lateness.
In a Sentence:
- Le train a eu un retard de dix minutes. (The train had a delay of ten minutes.)
- Je suis désolé pour le retard. (I’m sorry for the delay.)
2. Délais (Pronunciation: day-lay)
Meaning: A delay, extension of time.
In a Sentence:
- Il y a un délai de livraison de trois jours. (There is a three-day delivery delay.)
- Nous avons besoin de plus de délais pour finir le projet. (We need more time to finish the project.)
3. Lenteur (Pronunciation: lon-tur)
Meaning: Slowness, sluggishness.
In a Sentence:
- La lenteur du trafic m’a fait arriver en retard. (The slowness of traffic made me arrive late.)
- Le système informatique souffre d’une lenteur importante. (The computer system is experiencing significant slowness.)
4. Retardataire (Pronunciation: ruh-tahr-da-tehr)
Meaning: A latecomer, someone who is late.
In a Sentence:
- Jean est toujours un retardataire. (Jean is always a latecomer.)
- Les retardataires doivent se dépêcher. (Latecomers need to hurry.)
5. En retard (Pronunciation: ahn ruh-tahr)
Meaning: Late, behind schedule.
In a Sentence:
- Je suis en retard pour la réunion. (I am late for the meeting.)
- Ils sont en retard à l’école. (They are late to school.)
6. Accumulation de retard (Pronunciation: ah-kyu-myu-lah-syon duh ruh-tahr)
Meaning: Accumulation of delays, backlog.
In a Sentence:
- Il y a une accumulation de retard dans les dossiers. (There is a backlog in the files.)
- L’accumulation de retard dans le travail est préoccupante. (The backlog in work is worrying.)
7. Retard mental (Pronunciation: ruh-tahr mahn-tahl)
Meaning: Intellectual disability (used to refer to someone with developmental delays).
In a Sentence:
- Ce terme est souvent mal compris et peut être blessant. (This term is often misunderstood and can be hurtful.)
- Il est important d’utiliser des mots respectueux pour parler des personnes avec un retard mental. (It is important to use respectful words when talking about people with intellectual disabilities.)
8. Ralentissement (Pronunciation: rah-lahn-tees-mohn)
Meaning: Slowdown, deceleration.
In a Sentence:
- Le ralentissement du trafic cause un grand retard. (The slowdown in traffic is causing a big delay.)
- Le ralentissement de la production est dû à un manque de personnel. (The slowdown in production is due to a lack of staff.)
9. Délai de grâce (Pronunciation: day-lay duh grahss)
Meaning: Grace period.
In a Sentence:
- Nous avons un délai de grâce de 30 minutes avant l’embarquement. (We have a grace period of 30 minutes before boarding.)
- Le délai de grâce pour rendre le livre à la bibliothèque est de trois jours. (The grace period to return the book to the library is three days.)
10. Mise à jour (Pronunciation: meez ah zhoor)
Meaning: Update (used in the context of updating something that is delayed).
In a Sentence:
- Il faut faire une mise à jour des informations. (We need to update the information.)
- La mise à jour de votre compte est en retard. (The update of your account is delayed.)
11. Défaut de livraison (Pronunciation: day-foh duh lee-vray-syon)
Meaning: Delivery failure, missed delivery.
In a Sentence:
- Le colis n’est pas arrivé à temps à cause d’un défaut de livraison. (The package didn’t arrive on time because of a delivery failure.)
- Le défaut de livraison a causé des retards dans la production. (The delivery failure caused delays in production.)
12. Retard accumulé (Pronunciation: ruh-tahr ah-kyu-moo-lay)
Meaning: Accumulated delay.
In a Sentence:
- Le retard accumulé pendant la grève est énorme. (The accumulated delay during the strike is huge.)
- Il faut rattraper le retard accumulé dans le travail. (We need to catch up on the accumulated delay in work.)
13. Décalage horaire (Pronunciation: day-kah-lahzh oh-rayr)
Meaning: Time difference, jet lag.
In a Sentence:
- Le décalage horaire me fait sentir fatigué. (The time difference is making me feel tired.)
- Le décalage horaire m’a fait arriver avec un retard de 2 heures. (The jet lag made me arrive two hours late.)
14. Retard de paiement (Pronunciation: ruh-tahr duh pay-moh)
Meaning: Payment delay.
In a Sentence:
- Il y a un retard de paiement sur votre facture. (There is a payment delay on your bill.)
- Le retard de paiement a entraîné des frais supplémentaires. (The payment delay led to additional fees.)
15. Délai supplémentaire (Pronunciation: day-lay soo-pleh-men-tair)
Meaning: Additional delay.
In a Sentence:
- Il y a un délai supplémentaire de 24 heures pour la commande. (There is an additional delay of 24 hours for the order.)
- Le projet subira un délai supplémentaire à cause de la neige. (The project will face an additional delay due to the snow.)
16. En retard pour (Pronunciation: ahn ruh-tahr poor)
Meaning: Late for.
In a Sentence:
- Je suis en retard pour mon rendez-vous. (I am late for my appointment.)
- Il est en retard pour son vol. (He is late for his flight.)
17. Dépassement de délai (Pronunciation: day-pah-seh-mohn duh day-lay)
Meaning: Time overrun, exceeding the deadline.
In a Sentence:
- Le projet a souffert d’un dépassement de délai. (The project suffered from a time overrun.)
- Le dépassement de délai a affecté la qualité du travail. (The exceeding of the deadline affected the quality of the work.)
18. Tardivement (Pronunciation: tahr-dee-vuh-mohn)
Meaning: Late (adverb).
In a Sentence:
- Nous sommes arrivés tardivement à la fête. (We arrived late to the party.)
- Il a commencé son travail tardivement. (He started his work late.)
19. Retard dans (Pronunciation: ruh-tahr dahn)
Meaning: Delay in.
In a Sentence:
- Il y a un retard dans la livraison des produits. (There is a delay in the delivery of the products.)
- Le retard dans le traitement des dossiers a causé des problèmes. (The delay in processing the files caused problems.)
20. Surretard (Pronunciation: soor-ruh-tahr)
Meaning: Excessive delay.
In a Sentence:
- Il y a eu un surretard dans la production. (There was an excessive delay in production.)
- Le surretard dans le projet a été mal reçu par les clients. (The excessive delay in the project was poorly received by the clients.)
21. Anachronisme (Pronunciation: ah-nah-kroh-nizm)
Meaning: Anachronism, something outdated or delayed in time.
In a Sentence:
- Ce système est un anachronisme dans le monde moderne. (This system is an anachronism in the modern world.)
- Le retard est un anachronisme pour cette entreprise innovante. (The delay is an anachronism for this innovative company.)
22. Délai de réponse (Pronunciation: day-lay duh ray-ponz)
Meaning: Response delay.
In a Sentence:
- Il y a un délai de réponse de 48 heures pour toutes les demandes. (There is a 48-hour response delay for all inquiries.)
- Le délai de réponse à ma question a été trop long. (The response delay to my question was too long.)
23. Retard de production (Pronunciation: ruh-tahr duh proh-dook-syon)
Meaning: Production delay.
In a Sentence:
- Le retard de production a affecté les ventes. (The production delay affected the sales.)
- Il y a un retard de production à cause de la panne de machines. (There is a production delay due to machine failure.)
24. Retard technologique (Pronunciation: ruh-tahr tek-noh-loh-zheek)
Meaning: Technological delay.
In a Sentence:
- Le retard technologique a ralenti le lancement du produit. (The technological delay slowed down the product launch.)
- Nous avons un retard technologique dans le développement de l’application. (We have a technological delay in the development of the app.)
25. Délai d’attente (Pronunciation: day-lay da-tahnt)
Meaning: Waiting time, delay in waiting.
In a Sentence:
- Le délai d’attente pour les résultats est de trois semaines. (The waiting time for the results is three weeks.)
- Il y a un long délai d’attente pour obtenir une table dans ce restaurant. (There is a long waiting time to get a table at this restaurant.)
26. Délai d’expédition (Pronunciation: day-lay deks-pee-dee-syon)
Meaning: Shipping delay.
In a Sentence:
- Il y a eu un délai d’expédition en raison de la grève. (There was a shipping delay due to the strike.)
- Le délai d’expédition pour ce produit est de cinq jours. (The shipping delay for this product is five days.)
27. Réticence (Pronunciation: reh-tee-sahns)
Meaning: Reluctance or delay in action.
In a Sentence:
- Sa réticence à commencer le projet a causé un retard. (His reluctance to start the project caused a delay.)
- La réticence des employés à changer a retardé l’initiative. (The employees’ reluctance to change delayed the initiative.)
28. Retard dans le traitement (Pronunciation: ruh-tahr dahn luh tray-teh-mohn)
Meaning: Delay in processing (documents, requests, etc.).
In a Sentence:
- Il y a eu un retard dans le traitement de votre demande. (There has been a delay in processing your request.)
- Le retard dans le traitement des candidatures a prolongé la décision. (The delay in processing the applications has prolonged the decision.)
29. Retard par rapport à (Pronunciation: ruh-tahr par rah-por ah)
Meaning: Delay compared to, lag behind.
In a Sentence:
- Le projet est en retard par rapport aux délais fixés. (The project is delayed compared to the set deadlines.)
- Il y a un retard par rapport aux autres entreprises dans le secteur. (There is a delay compared to other companies in the sector.)
30. Lenteur de service (Pronunciation: lon-teur duh ser-vees)
Meaning: Slowness of service.
In a Sentence:
- La lenteur de service dans ce restaurant est inacceptable. (The slowness of service in this restaurant is unacceptable.)
- La lenteur de service pendant la pandémie a causé des retards. (The slowness of service during the pandemic caused delays.)
31. Dépassement de délai de livraison (Pronunciation: day-pah-seh-mohn duh day-lay duh lee-vray-syon)
Meaning: Overrun of delivery time.
In a Sentence:
- Le dépassement de délai de livraison a causé des inconvénients pour les clients. (The overrun of the delivery time caused inconvenience for the customers.)
- Il y a un dépassement de délai de livraison à cause de la neige. (There is a delivery time overrun because of the snow.)
32. Retard dû à (Pronunciation: ruh-tahr doo ah)
Meaning: Delay due to.
In a Sentence:
- Le retard est dû à des problèmes techniques. (The delay is due to technical issues.)
- Le retard dû à la météo a perturbé l’atterrissage de l’avion. (The delay due to the weather disrupted the plane’s landing.)
33. Retard imprévu (Pronunciation: ruh-tahr am-pray-voo)
Meaning: Unexpected delay.
In a Sentence:
- Il y a eu un retard imprévu à cause d’un accident sur la route. (There was an unexpected delay due to an accident on the road.)
- Le retard imprévu dans la production a affecté le lancement. (The unexpected delay in production affected the launch.)
Other Ways to Say “Retard” in French
Here’s a table with more ways to say “Retard” in French, including their pronunciation, meaning, and example sentences.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Ralentissement du trafic | (rah-lahn-tees-mohn doo trah-feek) | Traffic slowdown, delay in traffic | Le ralentissement du trafic a causé un retard important. (The traffic slowdown caused a significant delay.) |
| Retard de réponse | (ruh-tahr duh ray-ponz) | Delay in response | Il y a un retard de réponse à ma demande d’information. (There is a delay in response to my request for information.) |
| Problème d’approvisionnement | (proh-blehm dah-proh-vee-zyo-nuh) | Supply issue causing delay | Un problème d’approvisionnement a causé un retard dans la production. (A supply issue caused a delay in production.) |
| Déclenchement tardif | (day-klahn-she-mohn tahr-deef) | Late trigger, delayed start | Le déclenchement tardif du projet a retardé toute l’opération. (The late start of the project delayed the entire operation.) |
| Retard logistique | (ruh-tahr loh-zhees-teek) | Logistical delay | Il y a un retard logistique à cause du mauvais temps. (There is a logistical delay due to the bad weather.) |
| Retard technique | (ruh-tahr tek-neek) | Technical delay | Le retard technique a empêché la mise en ligne du site web. (The technical delay prevented the website from going live.) |
| Suspension temporaire | (soos-pen-syon tem-poh-rah-eer) | Temporary suspension, delay due to suspension | La suspension temporaire de l’accès a causé un retard dans le projet. (The temporary suspension of access caused a delay in the project.) |
| Retard administratif | (ruh-tahr ahd-mee-nees-trah-teef) | Administrative delay | Un retard administratif a retardé la livraison des documents. (An administrative delay delayed the delivery of the documents.) |
Response to “Retard” in French
When someone mentions a “retard” (delay) in French, it’s important to know how to respond politely, either by acknowledging the delay, apologizing, or offering solutions. These responses will help you maintain a respectful tone and keep the conversation smooth. Here are different ways to respond when “retard” is mentioned in French:
1. Ce n’est pas grave
Pronunciation: (suh nay pah grahv)
Meaning: It’s not a big deal, it’s okay.
In a Sentence:
- Personne n’est parfait, ce n’est pas grave. (No one is perfect, it’s okay.)
- Tu es en retard, mais ce n’est pas grave. (You’re late, but it’s okay.)
2. Pas de problème
Pronunciation: (pah duh proh-blehm)
Meaning: No problem.
In a Sentence:
- Ce n’est pas un problème, pas de problème. (It’s not a problem, no problem.)
- Tu as un retard de cinq minutes, pas de problème. (You have a five-minute delay, no problem.)
3. Je comprends
Pronunciation: (zhuh kohm-pron)
Meaning: I understand.
In a Sentence:
- Je comprends, il y a parfois des imprévus. (I understand, sometimes things are unpredictable.)
- Je comprends que tu sois en retard, c’est pas grave. (I understand that you are late, it’s not a big deal.)
4. Merci d’être arrivé malgré tout
Pronunciation: (mehr-see day-truh ah-ree-vay mal-gray too)
Meaning: Thank you for arriving despite everything.
In a Sentence:
- Merci d’être arrivé malgré tout, c’est très apprécié. (Thank you for arriving despite everything, it’s really appreciated.)
- Même avec du retard, merci d’être là. (Even with the delay, thank you for being here.)
5. C’est bon, prends ton temps
Pronunciation: (say boh, prahn ton tahnt)
Meaning: It’s fine, take your time.
In a Sentence:
- C’est bon, prends ton temps, il n’y a pas de rush. (It’s fine, take your time, there’s no rush.)
- Pas de souci, prends ton temps pour arriver. (No worries, take your time to arrive.)
6. Je m’excuse pour le retard
Pronunciation: (zhuh mayk-skewz poor luh ruh-tahr)
Meaning: I apologize for the delay.
In a Sentence:
- Je m’excuse pour le retard, j’ai eu un contretemps. (I apologize for the delay, I had an unexpected issue.)
- Désolé pour le retard, il y avait trop de circulation. (Sorry for the delay, there was too much traffic.)
7. Il n’y a pas de souci
Pronunciation: (eel nyah pah duh soo-see)
Meaning: There’s no problem, no worries.
In a Sentence:
- Il n’y a pas de souci, je comprends. (There’s no problem, I understand.)
- Ne t’inquiète pas, il n’y a pas de souci avec ton retard. (Don’t worry, there’s no problem with your delay.)
8. Tout va bien
Pronunciation: (too vah byan)
Meaning: Everything is fine.
In a Sentence:
- Tout va bien, on a tous un peu de retard parfois. (Everything is fine, we all have a little delay sometimes.)
- Ne t’inquiète pas, tout va bien malgré ton retard. (Don’t worry, everything is fine despite your delay.)
9. Ce n’est pas un problème
Pronunciation: (suh nay pah uh proh-blehm)
Meaning: It’s not a problem.
In a Sentence:
- Ce n’est pas un problème, j’étais juste occupé. (It’s not a problem, I was just busy.)
- Ne t’inquiète pas pour le retard, ce n’est pas un problème. (Don’t worry about the delay, it’s not a problem.)
10. Nous avons tous été en retard un jour
Pronunciation: (noo ah-von tooz eh-teh ahn ruh-tahr uh zhoor)
Meaning: We’ve all been late at some point.
In a Sentence:
- Nous avons tous été en retard un jour, ça arrive à tout le monde. (We’ve all been late at some point, it happens to everyone.)
- Ne sois pas gêné, nous avons tous été en retard un jour. (Don’t be embarrassed, we’ve all been late at some point.)
11. Je vais attendre, prends ton temps
Pronunciation: (zhuh veh ah-tahndr, prahn ton tahnt)
Meaning: I will wait, take your time.
In a Sentence:
- Je vais attendre, prends ton temps et ne te presse pas. (I’ll wait, take your time and don’t rush.)
- Pas de souci, je vais attendre. Prends ton temps. (No worries, I’ll wait. Take your time.)
12. C’est tout à fait compréhensible
Pronunciation: (say too-tah-fay kohm-pray-hahn-dah-bluh)
Meaning: It’s completely understandable.
In a Sentence:
- C’est tout à fait compréhensible, il y avait des embouteillages. (It’s completely understandable, there was traffic.)
- Ne t’en fais pas, c’est tout à fait compréhensible. (Don’t worry, it’s completely understandable.)
13. Pas de souci, je comprends la situation
Pronunciation: (pah duh soo-see, zhuh kohm-pron lah see-too-ah-syon)
Meaning: No worries, I understand the situation.
In a Sentence:
- Pas de souci, je comprends la situation avec le train. (No worries, I understand the situation with the train.)
- Il n’y a pas de souci, je comprends la situation. (There’s no problem, I understand the situation.)
Exercise to Practice Success “Retard”
Fill in the blanks with the correct term related to “retard” from the list provided earlier.
- Le ________ de la livraison a été causé par des conditions météorologiques extrêmes.
- Il a eu un ________ de cinq minutes à cause du trafic.
- Nous avons un ________ pour soumettre les candidatures jusqu’à vendredi.
- La réunion a été retardée à cause d’un ________ technique.
- Il y a eu un ________ dans le traitement de ma demande.
- En raison du ________ logistique, le projet est retardé.
- ________ à cause de la pluie, il n’est arrivé que deux heures plus tard.
- Le ________ de paiement a entraîné des pénalités supplémentaires.
- J’ai demandé un ________ pour la soumission du rapport.
- Le ________ imprévu dans la production a mis le lancement du produit en pause.
- ________ dans l’expédition du colis a causé un retard dans l’arrivée.
- Il y a un ________ par rapport au délai prévu pour la livraison.
Answers and Meaning of the Sentences
- délai (The delay in delivery was caused by extreme weather conditions.)
- retard (He was five minutes late because of traffic.)
- délai (We have a deadline to submit applications until Friday.)
- retard (The meeting was delayed due to a technical delay.)
- retard (There was a delay in processing my request.)
- retard (Due to logistical delays, the project is delayed.)
- en retard (He arrived two hours later due to the rain.)
- retard (The payment delay led to additional penalties.)
- délai (I requested an extension for the submission of the report.)
- retard (The unexpected delay in production paused the product launch.)
- délai (The delay in shipping the package caused a delay in arrival.)
- retard (There is a delay compared to the planned delivery time.)
Conclusion
Understanding how to talk about “retard” in French is important for clear communication, especially when dealing with delays or lateness. We’ve explored several ways to say “retard” and how to use these words correctly in different situations. Whether you’re talking about being late for a meeting, discussing a shipping delay, or explaining a delay in a project, there are many ways to express this in French.
It’s also important to use respectful language. Some terms, like “retard mental,” can be hurtful, so it’s better to choose more sensitive phrases when referring to people. Practicing these expressions through exercises can help you feel more confident when speaking French. By learning how to use these terms appropriately, you can communicate with more kindness and understanding in your conversations.
Remember, language is not just about words, but how we use them. So, always choose your words wisely!