晚点 meaning in English

晚点 is the standard word for trains, flights, and buses running behind schedule, and you will hear it in station announcements. It can also mean a little later in casual speech, as in 晚点再说 (wǎndiǎn zài shuō), let's talk later. Example: 火车晚点了两个小时。(Huǒchē wǎndiǎn le liǎng gè xiǎoshí.) The train was delayed by two hours.

晚 (wǎn) means late, and 点 (diǎn) means a point on the clock, so 晚点 is arriving later than the scheduled point. Picture a train pulling in after its time on the timetable.

Common mistake: Learners often use 晚点 for a person being late to class or work, but for people the natural word is 迟到 (chídào). Say 他迟到了 (tā chídào le), not 他晚点了, unless you mean doing something a bit later.