French Phrase
Mon vol est en retard ?
Meaning
Literally ‘My flight is delayed?’, this sentence is a polite way to ask an airline employee or a fellow traveler whether the scheduled departure time of your flight has been pushed back.
When to use
Use it at the check‑in desk, at the gate, or when speaking with airport staff if you suspect your flight might not leave on time. It works both in formal settings (with staff) and informal chats with other passengers.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Monvolestenretard?
Possessive adjective (Mon)
‘Mon’ agrees with masculine singular nouns and means ‘my’. It changes to ‘ma’ before feminine nouns and ‘mes’ for plural.
Verb être (est)
‘est’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘être’ (to be). It links the subject ‘vol’ with the predicate ‘en retard’.
Idiomatic expression ‘en retard’
Literally ‘in delay’, this phrase is used to say something or someone is late. It does not need an article.
Question intonation
In spoken French, a rising intonation at the end of the sentence signals a yes/no question, even without ‘est‑ce que’.
🗨In Conversation
Mon vol est en retard ?
Is my flight delayed?
Oui, il part à 18h30 au lieu de 18h00.
Yes, it leaves at 6:30 p.m. instead of 6:00 p.m.
✕Common Mistakes
Mon vol est retardé.
‘Retardé’ is an adjective used for people or objects that cause a delay, not for the state of being delayed. Use ‘en retard’ or ‘a du retard’.
Mon vol a en retard.
The verb ‘avoir’ must be followed by ‘du’ when expressing a delay: ‘a du retard’. The construction ‘a en retard’ is ungrammatical.
Mon les vol est en retard.
The possessive adjective must agree with the noun’s gender and number. ‘Mon’ is used for singular masculine nouns; ‘les’ would be a definite article, not a possessive.
↔Alternatives
Mon vol a du retard.
My flight has a delay.
Est‑ce que mon vol est retardé ?
Is my flight delayed?
Mon avion est en retard.
My plane is late.
Cultural Tip
In French airports, politeness goes a long way. Start with ‘Excusez‑moi’ or ‘Pardon’ before asking the question, and finish with ‘s’il vous plaît’ if you need further help. Note that ‘vol’ also means ‘theft’, so in a non‑airport context the phrase could be misunderstood. For flight status, French speakers often prefer ‘avoir du retard’ over ‘être en retard’, but both are correct.