French Phrase
Je finis tard au boulot.
Meaning
Literally, “I finish late at work.” It conveys that the speaker’s workday ends later than usual, often implying extra effort or a busy schedule.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to explain why you’re tired, why you can’t meet friends, or simply to describe a typical late‑ending workday. It’s informal, so it fits conversations with friends or colleagues rather than formal emails.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jefinistardauboulot
Subject pronoun (Je)
The first‑person singular subject pronoun, always placed before the verb.
Present tense of finir
Finir is a regular -ir verb; its present‑tense endings are -is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent.
Adverb of time (tard)
Tard means ‘late’; it follows the verb it modifies.
Preposition au + noun
‘au’ = à + le; used before masculine singular nouns to indicate location or context.
Colloquial noun (boulot)
Boulot is informal slang for ‘work’ or ‘job’, more casual than le travail.
🗨In Conversation
Tu viens ce soir ?
Are you coming tonight?
Je finis tard au boulot, alors je passerai demain.
I finish late at work, so I’ll come by tomorrow.
✕Common Mistakes
Je finir tard au boulot.
Do not use the infinitive ‘finir’; you need the conjugated present form ‘finis’.
Je finis tard au travail.
‘au travail’ is correct but less informal; if you want the casual tone, keep ‘boulot’.
Je tard finis au boulot.
Avoid placing ‘tard’ before the verb; it must follow the verb in this construction.
↔Alternatives
Je termine tard au travail.
I finish late at work.
Je travaille jusqu’à tard le soir.
I work until late in the evening.
Je sors du bureau tard.
I leave the office late.
Cultural Tip
In France, talking about ‘boulot’ is common among peers and gives a relaxed tone. In a professional setting, especially with a manager, you’d use le travail or le poste. Also, French workers often value work‑life balance, so mentioning that you finish late can be a subtle way to explain why you’re unavailable for social plans.