wǎndiǎn: 晚点 - To be late, Delayed

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• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese term 晚点 (wǎndiǎn), which means “to be late” or “delayed.” This word is crucial for anyone traveling in China, as it's primarily used to describe when scheduled transportation like a train, flight, or bus is running behind its timetable. This guide will break down its meaning, cultural context, and practical use, and clarify the key difference between 晚点 (wǎndiǎn) (for events/transport) and 迟到 (chídào) (for people).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): wǎndiǎn
• Part of Speech: Verb, Adjective
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: To be behind schedule; to be delayed (primarily for transportation or scheduled events).
• In a Nutshell: 晚点 (wǎndiǎn) is the word you'll hear and use constantly when dealing with travel in China. It describes a situation where a scheduled event, most commonly a train or plane, is not on time. It's an objective statement about a timetable being disrupted. Think of it as the system being late, not a person.

• 晚 (wǎn): This character means “late,” “evening,” or “night.” It points to a time that is after the expected or usual point.
• 点 (diǎn): This character means “point,” “dot,” or, in the context of time, “o'clock.” It refers to a specific point in time on a schedule.

When combined, 晚点 (wǎndiǎn) literally translates to a “late point in time.” This perfectly captures the meaning of an event happening at a point later than scheduled.

While not a deep philosophical term, 晚点 (wǎndiǎn) is culturally significant due to its sheer frequency in daily life. China's massive and heavily used high-speed rail and air travel networks mean that delays are a common, shared experience for millions of people every day. Hearing an announcement that your train or flight will “晚点” is a routine part of modern Chinese life. The key cultural distinction for a learner lies in how Chinese separates the lateness of an *object/event* from the lateness of a *person*.

• 晚点 (wǎndiǎn): Refers to an impersonal, scheduled event being late. The train is delayed. The flight is late. It's a fact about the system. There is no personal fault implied.
• 迟到 (chídào): Refers to a person arriving late for an appointment, work, or school. This carries a sense of personal responsibility. If you `迟到`, it's because *you* didn't manage your time well (even if the reason was a train that was `晚点`!).

This separation highlights a focus on the specific source of the lateness. Western culture might use “late” more broadly (e.g., “Sorry, the train was late, so I'm late.”). In Chinese, you would use both terms to explain this: “因为火车晚点了，所以我迟到了” (Yīnwèi huǒchē wǎndiǎn le, suǒyǐ wǒ chídào le) - “Because the train was delayed, I arrived late.”

晚点 (wǎndiǎn) is used in both formal and informal contexts. You will see it on departure boards, hear it in station announcements, and use it in texts to friends.

• Transportation: This is the most common usage. It applies to trains (火车), planes (飞机), buses (公交车), and subways (地铁).
• Other Scheduled Events: Less commonly, it can be used for events like meetings (会议) or performances (演出) that start later than scheduled, though `推迟 (tuīchí)` (to postpone) is also common in these cases.
• Connotation: The word itself is neutral—it's a statement of fact. However, the situation it describes is almost always negative and a source of frustration.
• Formality: It's standard vocabulary, appropriate for formal announcements and casual conversations alike.

• Example 1:
  • 我们去北京的火车晚点了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen qù Běijīng de huǒchē wǎndiǎn le.
  • English: Our train to Beijing is delayed.
  • Analysis: A simple, common statement of fact. This is something you'd text to someone waiting for you.
• Example 2:
  • 不好意思，飞机晚点了半个小时。
  • Pinyin: Bù hǎoyìsi, fēijī wǎndiǎn le bàn ge xiǎoshí.
  • English: Sorry, the plane was delayed by half an hour.
  • Analysis: Here, `晚点` is followed by a duration of time to specify exactly how late it is. `半个小时` means “half an hour”.
• Example 3:
  • 请问，CA1837次航班会晚点吗？
  • Pinyin: Qǐngwèn, CA yāo bā sān qī cì hángbān huì wǎndiǎn ma?
  • English: Excuse me, will flight CA1837 be delayed?
  • Analysis: A practical question to ask an airline agent. `会…吗?` is a common way to ask about a future possibility.
• Example 4:
  • 由于天气原因，您的航班将晚点起飞。
  • Pinyin: Yóuyú tiānqì yuányīn, nín de hángbān jiāng wǎndiǎn qǐfēi.
  • English: Due to weather reasons, your flight will take off late.
  • Analysis: This is typical language for a formal airport announcement. `由于 (yóuyú)` means “due to,” and `将 (jiāng)` is a formal way to say “will.”
• Example 5:
  • 我坐的公交车晚点了，所以我可能会迟到。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zuò de gōngjiāochē wǎndiǎn le, suǒyǐ wǒ kěnéng huì chídào.
  • English: The bus I'm on is running late, so I might be late.
  • Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates the difference between `晚点` (the bus is delayed) and `迟到` (I will be late).
• Example 6:
  • G5次列车已正点到达，没有晚点。
  • Pinyin: G wǔ cì lièchē yǐ zhèngdiǎn dàodá, méiyǒu wǎndiǎn.
  • English: Train G5 has arrived on time, it was not delayed.
  • Analysis: This shows the negative form `没有晚点` (was not delayed). The antonym `正点` (on time) is also used.
• Example 7:
  • 今天的会议晚点了十分钟才开始。
  • Pinyin: Jīntiān de huìyì wǎndiǎn le shí fēnzhōng cái kāishǐ.
  • English: Today's meeting started ten minutes late.
  • Analysis: An example of `晚点` being used for a non-transportation event. The structure `…才开始` emphasizes that it only started *after* the delay.
• Example 8:
  • 我最讨厌晚点的火车了！
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zuì tǎoyàn wǎndiǎn de huǒchē le!
  • English: I hate delayed trains the most!
  • Analysis: Here, `晚点` functions as an adjective modifying `火车` (train). The `的` particle connects them.
• Example 9:
  • 别担心，高铁很少晚点。
  • Pinyin: Bié dānxīn, gāotiě hěn shǎo wǎndiǎn.
  • English: Don't worry, the high-speed rail is rarely late.
  • Analysis: A sentence offering reassurance. `很少` means “rarely” or “seldom”.
• Example 10:
  • 又是大雾，看来今天的飞机又要晚点了。
  • Pinyin: Yòu shì dàwù, kànlái jīntiān de fēijī yòu yào wǎndiǎn le.
  • English: It's foggy again; looks like the planes will be delayed again today.
  • Analysis: This sentence expresses weary resignation. `又 (yòu)` is used twice to mean “again,” showing this is a recurring problem.

The most critical mistake for learners is confusing 晚点 (wǎndiǎn) with 迟到 (chídào). They both involve “lateness,” but are not interchangeable.

• 晚点 (wǎndiǎn): For scheduled events, services, or transportation being behind schedule. The subject is the train, plane, bus, meeting, etc.
• 迟到 (chídào): For a person arriving late to something. The subject is the person.

Think of it this way: An event that is `晚点` can cause a person to `迟到`. Incorrect Usage:

• `我今天上班晚点了。` (Wǒ jīntiān shàngbān wǎndiǎn le.)
• Why it's wrong: The subject is “I.” You are a person, not a scheduled service. You cannot `晚点`.
• Correct Usage: `我今天上班迟到了。` (Wǒ jīntiān shàngbān chídào le.) - “I was late for work today.”

Correct Usage showing the difference:

• `因为我坐的地铁晚点了，所以我开会迟到了五分钟。`
• Pinyin: Yīnwèi wǒ zuò de dìtiě wǎndiǎn le, suǒyǐ wǒ kāihuì chídào le wǔ fēnzhōng.
• English: Because the subway I took was delayed, I was five minutes late for the meeting.

• 迟到 (chídào) - To arrive late (for a person). The crucial counterpart to `晚点`.
• 延误 (yánwù) - A more formal synonym for `晚点`, often seen in official written announcements, especially for flights (航班延误 - flight delay).
• 准点 (zhǔndiǎn) - The direct antonym for transportation; on schedule, on time. Also seen as 准时 (zhǔnshí).
• 推迟 (tuīchí) - To postpone or put off. This implies a deliberate decision to reschedule, whereas `晚点` is often an unforeseen delay.
• 正点 (zhèngdiǎn) - Another antonym meaning “on time,” often used in announcements (e.g., `正点到达` - arrive on time).
• 航班 (hángbān) - Flight number, a noun that is frequently the subject of `晚点`.
• 列车 (lièchē) - Train, another common subject for `晚点`.
• 起飞 (qǐfēi) - To take off (for an airplane). You will often hear about a delayed take-off (`晚点起飞`).
• 到达 (dàodá) - To arrive. You will often hear about a delayed arrival (`晚点到达`).