遅れる
おくれる
to (be) become late
Okureru (遅れる) is an ichidan verb meaning "to (be) become late". Its polite form is 遅れます (okuremasu), its te form is 遅れて (okurete), its past form is 遅れた (okureta), and its negative form is 遅れない (okurenai).
Ichidan verbJLPT N4
Okureru (遅れる) conjugation quick reference
遅れる means "to (be) become late". Its main forms are listed below, with links to the grammar pattern behind each form.
Okureru example sentences
学校に遅れます。
I will be late for school.
電車に遅れました。
I was late for the train.
今日は遅れません。
I won’t be late today.
How to use Okureru: grammar notes
•遅れる is usually used with the particle に to show what you're late for — for example, 学校に遅れる means "to be late for school."
•Don't use を with 遅れる — it's not about doing something to an object, but being late to something.
•遅れる is about being late yourself (like you missed the train), so don’t use it if something else is delayed — for that, use 遅らせる or 遅延 (more advanced).
•JLPT N4 level
Common phrases with Okureru
電車に遅れる（でんしゃに おくれる）
to be late for the train
約束に遅れる（やくそくに おくれる）
to be late for an appointment/promise
時間に遅れる（じかんに おくれる）
to be late (for the scheduled time)
Okureru (遅れる) conjugation table
| Form | Japanese | Romaji |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Forms | ||
| Dictionary Form | 遅れる | okureru |
| Masu Form | 遅れます | okuremasu |
| Te Form | 遅れて | okurete |
| Past Form | 遅れた | okureta |
| Negative Form | 遅れない | okurenai |
| Past Negative | 遅れなかった | okurenakatta |
| Polite Forms | ||
| Polite Present | 遅れます | okuremasu |
| Polite Past | 遅れました | okuremashita |
| Polite Negative | 遅れません | okuremasen |
| Polite Past Negative | 遅れませんでした | okuremasendeshita |
| Advanced Forms | ||
| Potential Form | 遅れられる | okurerareru |
| Passive Form | 遅れられる | okurerareru |
| Causative Form | 遅れさせる | okuresaseru |
| Causative Passive | 遅れさせられる | okuresaserareru |
| Volitional Form | 遅れよう | okureyou |
| Imperative Form | 遅れろ | okurero |
| Conditional Forms | ||
| Conditional (ば) | 遅れれば | okurereba |
| Conditional (たら) | 遅れたら | okuretara |
| Other Forms | ||
| Progressive Form | 遅れている | okureteiru |
| Desire (たい) | 遅れたい | okuretai |
| Prohibition | 遅れるな | okureruna |