we arrived late

USAGE SUMMARY

"We arrived late" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when referring to the time that you or someone else arrived somewhere. Example: We arrived late for the movie, so we had to sit in the very back.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

40 human-written examples

WE arrived late for "Headspace: On Scent as Design," a symposium held March 26 in the auditorium at Parsons the New School for Design, and so missed the smell of birth being spritzed into the room.

The New York Times

Once, on holiday with best friends in Tunisia, we arrived late on Christmas Eve to find the entire hotel full of German tourists celebrating with a banquet made up entirely of fish courses - soup, submarine-shaped sardines on toast, lobsters set in dishes up the centre of the table like a painted pink spine.

The Guardian - Books

Helen121 adds: We arrived late for an Easyjet flight this summer and it was SO much less stressful.

The Guardian

We arrived late on a Sunday afternoon last March with enough daylight left for a soak in the poolside whirlpool before going to our room to check in with the spa by phone.

The New York Times - Travel

Sometimes we arrived late and the mother already had severe oedema and was in a very weak condition.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

Almost 80 years later we arrived late for "The Book of Mormon".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

20 human-written examples

"She was really disappointed they weren't here when we arrived today.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Lipski said, "Dane and I have a class together in sports marketing, and when we arrived yesterday we got applause".

The New York Times - Sports

When we arrived today, the tour guide was telling us that Cambodian food was not so spicy.

Cornell University

"If we arrived tomorrow, saying that this time we have the guarantee that it won't be messed up, we should definitely not be believed, even if we were sincere — which we would be, by the way".

The New York Times

There wasn't any traffic and we arrived early.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "we arrived late", ensure the context clearly indicates the event or location to which you were late. For instance, specify "We arrived late to the meeting" instead of simply "We arrived late".

Common error

Avoid using "we arrived late" without clearly establishing who 'we' refers to. Providing specific names or group affiliations (e.g., "The team arrived late") enhances clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "we arrived late" primarily functions as a statement indicating that a group of people reached a destination after the expected or scheduled time. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase's correctness. It typically includes a subject (we), a verb (arrived), and an adverb (late).

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Academia

15%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "we arrived late" is a grammatically correct and frequently used phrase to indicate a delayed arrival. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is suitable for written English and serves to inform about tardiness. Analysis of Ludwig examples shows the phrase appears most often in news and media, academic and business contexts, maintaining a neutral register. While straightforward, it's important to ensure clarity by specifying the destination when using this phrase. Related phrases offer variations in formality and emphasis. Ludwig provides ample examples demonstrating its versatility and correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

we showed up late

Uses a more casual verb "showed up" instead of "arrived", indicating a less formal arrival.

we were delayed in arriving

Focuses on the delay being the reason for the lateness, rather than just stating the lateness itself.

our arrival was delayed

Shifts the focus to the arrival itself being delayed, rather than the people arriving.

we got there behind schedule

Emphasizes the lateness in relation to a planned schedule.

we reached late

A simpler way of saying "we arrived late", with the same basic meaning.

we were not on time

States the lateness in a negative way, focusing on the lack of punctuality.

we missed the start

Indicates that the lateness caused missing the beginning of something.

we arrived after the scheduled time

More explicitly states the lateness in terms of the planned time.

our punctuality was lacking

Highlights the lack of punctuality in a formal manner.

we didn't make it on time

More colloquial way of expressing that you did not arrive when expected.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "we arrived late" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, you could say "Our arrival was delayed" or "We experienced a delay in our arrival". You could also specify the reason for the delay if known, such as "We arrived late "due to traffic"".

What's a less formal way to say "we arrived late"?

Informal alternatives include "We showed up late", "We were running behind", or "we got there late".

How does "we arrived late" differ from "we were late"?

"We arrived late" specifically refers to the act of arriving at a destination after the expected time. "We were late" is more general and can refer to being late for anything, not just an arrival. For instance, "we were late for the deadline" doesn't involve physical arrival.

Is it grammatically correct to say "we arrived lately"?

No, "we arrived lately" is generally incorrect. "Lately" means "recently" or "in recent times", so it doesn't describe the timing of a specific arrival. The correct phrase to indicate a delayed arrival is "we arrived late".