How to Say ‘I’m Running Late’ in Portuguese: Estou Atrasado — Practice

Use estou atrasado when you are already late

Estou atrasado or estou atrasada means ‘I’m late.’ The adjective agrees with the speaker. Add desculpa or me desculpa to apologize, and include an arrival estimate when you can.

Use vou me atrasar to warn someone

Vou me atrasar means ‘I’m going to be late.’ Send it as soon as you know your schedule has changed, rather than waiting until you arrive.

Use estou chegando only when you are close

If you are nearly at the destination, estou chegando (I’m almost there) is a useful update. If you have not left yet, say when you expect to depart or arrive instead.

Remember: Use estou atrasado/a when late, vou me atrasar to give advance notice, and share an arrival estimate when possible.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. Sorry, I’m running late. I’ll arrive in ten minutes.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Desculpa, estou atrasado. Chego em dez minutos.

2. I’m late because of the traffic.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estou atrasada por causa do trânsito.

3. I’m going to be a little late. The bus took a while.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vou me atrasar um pouco. O ônibus demorou.

4. I think I’m going to be late for the meeting.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Acho que vou me atrasar para a reunião.

5. I’m almost there. I’m two streets away.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Já estou chegando. Estou a duas ruas daí.

6. I’m leaving now and should arrive around eight.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vou sair agora e chego por volta das oito.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Use estou atrasado/a when late, vou me atrasar to give advance notice, and share an arrival estimate when possible.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our How to Say ‘I’m Running Late’ in Portuguese: Estou Atrasado lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.