atrasaste

Atrasaste is the second person singular pretérito indefinido form of the Spanish verb atrasar. It means that you delayed something or that you moved behind schedule, either by causing a delay to an event or by failing to keep up with time or progress. The action can be transitive, as in delaying a task or delivery, or intransitive, indicating that you yourself fell behind or arrived late.

Usage notes: Atrasar can refer to delaying an action or process (algo fue atrasado), or to a person’s punctuality or pace (me atrasé; te atrasaste). The form atrasaste is commonly used in Spain and in many Latin American countries. In formal contexts, the third-person forms are used (usted atrasó, ustedes atrasaron). Atrasaste is often contrasted with retrasar, which more frequently emphasizes postponement of an event or deadline, while atrasar can convey lag in progress or movement.

Common contexts include work, studies, schedules, and travel. For example: “Atrasaste la entrega de la mercancía” (you delayed the delivery of the goods); “Hoy te atrasaste para la reunión” (today you were late to the meeting); “Si te atrasas, el proyecto podría atrasarse” (If you fall behind, the project could be delayed).

Etymology: atrasaste derives from atrasar, formed from atras (behind) plus the infinitive suffix -ar, indicating to cause to go behind or to delay. Related terms include atrasado (delayed) and retrasar (to postpone or delay).