Spanish Phrase
Estamos un poco retrasados.
Meaning
The sentence means “We are a little delayed.” It conveys that a group (usually speakers) is behind schedule, but only by a small amount. The tone is usually informal and apologetic.
When to use
Use it when you arrive a few minutes late to a meeting, when a train or flight is running behind, or whenever a team needs to explain a minor setback. It works in both casual conversation and semi‑formal contexts, as long as the delay isn’t serious.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Estamosunpocoretrasados
Estar (estamos)
Use estar for temporary states or conditions. Here it means 'we are' in the sense of a current situation.
un poco
An adverbial phrase meaning 'a little' that modifies the adjective that follows.
retrasados (agreement)
Past participle used as an adjective; it must agree in gender and number with the subject (masculine plural).
🗨In Conversation
¿Ya llegamos?
Are we there yet?
Estamos un poco retrasados, pero ya casi llegamos.
We’re a little delayed, but we’ll be there soon.
✕Common Mistakes
Somos un poco retrasados.
Use estar, not ser, for temporary conditions like being delayed.
Estamos un poco retrasado.
The adjective must agree with the plural subject.
Estamos un poco retrasado.
Both the article and adjective need to be plural when the subject is plural.
↔Alternatives
Llegaremos con un pequeño retraso.
We’ll arrive with a small delay.
Vamos con un leve retraso.
We’re running a slight delay.
Nos hemos retrasado un poco.
We have been delayed a bit.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries, being a few minutes late is socially acceptable, especially in informal settings. However, in business meetings or formal events it’s courteous to acknowledge the delay and apologize. The phrase “Estamos un poco retrasados” does exactly that, showing awareness without sounding overly dramatic.