tardías

Tardía is a feminine noun and adjective in Spanish that denotes the quality or condition of being late or delayed. In plural form, tardías refers to multiple instances of lateness or delays. The term is generally used in more formal or literary contexts, and in everyday speech it is often replaced by retraso or demora.

In usage, tardía tends to appear when describing lateness as a characteristic of a time, event, or action. It can refer to late arrivals, late deliveries, or late phases in processes. Although understood, tardía is less common than synonyms such as retraso (delay) or demora (waiting period), which are preferred in casual or practical writing. In some specialized fields, like certain academic or administrative texts, tardía may appear in phrases such as “la llegada fue tardía” or “una tardía en la entrega,” though examples with retraso or demora are typically more natural.

Etymologically, tardía comes from tardus, meaning late, combined with the suffix -ía to form a noun indicating action or condition. The corresponding adjective forms are tardío (masculine) and tardía (feminine), and the adverb is tardíamente.

Examples of usage include: “La llegada fue tardía” and “Los trámites se completaron tardíamente.” In medical or developmental contexts, terms like tardía del desarrollo can occur in literature, though preferred terms for describing developmental concerns are delay or retardation.

See also: lateness, delay, demora, retraso, tardanza.