French Phrase
On a un peu de retard.
Meaning
Literally, ‘We have a little delay.’ It’s the polite way to say that you’re running a few minutes behind schedule.
When to use
Use this phrase when you arrive slightly late to a meeting, appointment, or social gathering, especially in informal or semi‑formal contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onaunpeuderetard.
On (impersonal pronoun)
‘On’ is an informal way to say ‘we’ or ‘people in general’; it conjugates like the third‑person singular.
a (avoir, present)
The verb ‘avoir’ in the present tense, third‑person singular, meaning ‘has’ or ‘have’.
un peu (quantifier)
‘Un peu’ means ‘a little’ or ‘a bit’; it softens the statement.
de (preposition)
Used after ‘un peu’ to introduce the noun that follows; it is not the partitive ‘du’ here.
retard (noun)
‘Retard’ means ‘delay’ or ‘lateness’; it is masculine singular.
🗨In Conversation
On a un peu de retard, désolé.
We’re a little late, sorry.
Pas de problème, je vous attends.
No problem, I’ll wait for you.
✕Common Mistakes
On a un retard.
Missing ‘peu’ removes the nuance of ‘a little’ and can sound blunt.
On a un peu du retard.
After ‘un peu’ the correct preposition is ‘de’, not ‘du’.
On a un peu de retardes.
‘Retard’ is singular here; the plural ‘retardes’ is a verb form, not a noun.
↔Alternatives
Nous sommes un peu en retard.
We are a little behind schedule.
On a un léger retard.
We have a slight delay.
On a un petit retard.
We’re a bit late.
Cultural Tip
In France, being a few minutes late is generally tolerated in casual settings, but in business or formal appointments it’s best to inform the other party as soon as possible. Saying ‘un peu de retard’ softens the apology and shows you respect the other person’s time.