Meaning
to be late, to delay
- to be late, to delay (of a person)
- to arrive late
- to be late (of a thing)
- to seem late (said of something that is eagerly awaited)
In a sentence
Cerca di non tardare: la cena sarà pronta alle otto.
Try not to be late: dinner will be ready at eight.
Perché hai tardato così tanto ieri sera?
Why were you so late last night?
Il treno tarda ancora o è già arrivato?
Is the train still late, or has it already arrived?
Word forms (48)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| tardare | infinitive |
| tardiamo | indicative · present · plural · 1st person |
| tardo | indicative · present · singular · 1st person |
| tardate | indicative · present · plural · 2nd person |
| tardi | indicative · present · singular · 2nd person |
| tardano | indicative · present · plural · 3rd person |
| tarda | indicative · present · singular · 3rd person |
| tardavamo | indicative · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| tardavo | indicative · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| tardavate | indicative · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| tardavi | indicative · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| tardavano | indicative · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| tardava | indicative · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| tardammo | indicative · past · plural · 1st person |
| tardai | indicative · past · singular · 1st person |
| tardaste | indicative · past · plural · 2nd person |
| tardasti | indicative · past · singular · 2nd person |
| tardarono | indicative · past · plural · 3rd person |
| tardò | indicative · past · singular · 3rd person |
| tarderemo | indicative · future · plural · 1st person |
| tarderò | indicative · future · singular · 1st person |
| tarderete | indicative · future · plural · 2nd person |
| tarderai | indicative · future · singular · 2nd person |
| tarderanno | indicative · future · plural · 3rd person |
| tarderà | indicative · future · singular · 3rd person |
| tardiamo | subjunctive · present · plural · 1st person |
| tardi | subjunctive · present · singular · 1st person |
| tardiate | subjunctive · present · plural · 2nd person |
| tardi | subjunctive · present · singular · 2nd person |
| tardino | subjunctive · present · plural · 3rd person |
| tardi | subjunctive · present · singular · 3rd person |
| tardassimo | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 1st person |
| tardassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 1st person |
| tardaste | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 2nd person |
| tardassi | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 2nd person |
| tardassero | subjunctive · imperfect · plural · 3rd person |
| tardasse | subjunctive · imperfect · singular · 3rd person |
| tarderemmo | conditional · present · plural · 1st person |
| tarderei | conditional · present · singular · 1st person |
| tardereste | conditional · present · plural · 2nd person |
| tarderesti | conditional · present · singular · 2nd person |
| tarderebbero | conditional · present · plural · 3rd person |
| tarderebbe | conditional · present · singular · 3rd person |
| tardiamo | imperative · plural · 1st person |
| tardate | imperative · plural · 2nd person |
| tarda | imperative · singular · 2nd person |
| tardando | gerund |
| tardato | past · participle |
Usage notes
- For a person being late, tardare is less common in speech than fare tardi or arrivare in ritardo.
- Use essere in compound tenses when the subject is the person/thing late: è tardato. Use avere when transitive: ha tardato la partenza.
- Tardare a + infinitive means to take a long time to do something: Ha tardato a rispondere.