(chí) — late; delayed; slow

Definition

迟 (chí) means late or slow. Use 晚 for clock time ('it's late at night'); 迟 focuses on being behind schedule or delayed. Pairs with 到/了 to describe arriving late.

adjective
latedelayedslow

Examples

  • Tā zǒu lù chí huǎn, zǒng bǐ bié rén màn hěn duō.
    He walks slowly, always much slower than others.
  • Zuó tiān kāi huì wǒ chí dào le shí fēn zhōng.
    I was ten minutes late for the meeting yesterday.
  • Xiàn zài qù yǐ jīng tài chí le, tā men yǐ jīng zǒu le.
    It's too late to go now—they've already left.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Written in full aschuòmotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
chǐchí
Same sound today

迟 pairs 辶, a walking sign, with 尺, used for the sound.

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