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fluentbyear

JAPANESE VERB

ちこく する

遅刻 する

to be late, to arrive late

  • #179 most used
  • する verb

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI am late
NegativeI am not late

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI was late
NegativeI was not late

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formbeing late, and…
Doing now (て います)I am being late
Please (て ください)please be late

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can be late
NegativeI can’t be late

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to be late
NegativeI don’t want to be late

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s be late

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I am late
  2. If, when (たら) if I am late

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) be late (do it)
  2. Plain command be late!
  3. Please don’t please don’t be late

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
Passive
Causative

How to use ちこく する

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    あの ひと は かいぎ に よく ちこく します。

    That person is often late for meetings.

  2. Past

    ねぼう して、 がっこう に ちこく した。

    I overslept and was late for school.

  3. Te-form

    きょう も ちこく して、 ぶちょう に おこられた。

    I was late again today and got told off by the manager.

  4. Potential

    きょう は だいじな めんせつ だ から、 ちこく できない。

    Today's an important interview, so I can't be late.

  5. Want to

    はつ デート に ちこく したくない。

    I don't want to be late for the first date.

  6. Volitional

    ちこく しない ように、 はやめ に でよう。

    Let's leave early so we're not late.

  7. Conditional

    じゅっぷん いじょう ちこく すれば、 しけん は うけられません。

    If you're more than ten minutes late, you can't sit the exam.

  8. Commands and requests

    あした は ぜったい に ちこく しないで ね。

    Tomorrow, do not be late, whatever you do.

  9. Passive and causative

    デート で いちじかん も ちこく された。

    My date was a whole hour late on me.

Good to know

  • ちこく する is to arrive late; おくれる is to be late or behind in general: でんしゃ が おくれる.
  • Nobody plans to be late, so the volitional sentence shows ちこく する beside another verb.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: する verb.