Translation guide
How to express that something is being postponed or delayed in Japanese, depending on the context and level of formality.
To say that an event, plan, or deadline is being postponed or put off to a later time.
The most common and neutral word for postponement. Used for events, meetings, trips, etc. Can be used as a noun or with する.
会議は来週に延期されました。
The meeting has been postponed to next week.
旅行を延期することにした。
I decided to postpone the trip.
Literally 'sending ahead', implies pushing something off to the future, often with a nuance of avoiding a decision or problem. Common in business or political contexts.
その問題は先送りされた。
The issue was postponed (kicked down the road).
Used specifically for events that are postponed to the next available day, often due to weather (e.g., sports days, outdoor events).
運動会は雨天のため明日に順延です。
The sports day is postponed until tomorrow due to rain.
To express that something is behind schedule or being delayed (not necessarily a formal postponement).
General word for delay or lateness. Can be used for trains, projects, responses, etc. Often used with が出る or が生じる.
工事に遅れが出ている。
There is a delay in the construction work.
電車が遅れています。
The train is delayed.
Formal term for delay, often used in official announcements, transportation, or technical contexts.
To say that you are putting off doing something, procrastinating, or deferring a decision.
To put something off until later, often implying lower priority. Very common in daily conversation.
その仕事は後回しにしよう。
Let's put that task off until later.
Similar to 先送り but more casual. Means to stretch out or prolong a deadline, often with a negative connotation of procrastination.
宿題を先延ばしにしてしまった。
I ended up putting off my homework.
To drag out or prolong something, often intentionally. Can be used for negotiations, meetings, or stories.
To describe the state of something being postponed, often using passive or stative expressions.
Indicates that something is currently in a postponed state. The pattern 〜になっている expresses a resulting state.
イベントは延期になっています。
The event is postponed (and remains so).
Literally 'seeing off', used to mean shelving or postponing a plan or project, often because conditions are not right. Common in business.
新製品の発売は見送りとなった。
The launch of the new product has been postponed/shelved.
延期 (postponement) is a deliberate decision to move something to a later date. 遅延 and 遅れ both mean delay, but 遅延 is more formal and often used for systems/transport, while 遅れ is the general, everyday word for lateness or falling behind schedule.
English often uses the passive 'being postponed', but Japanese prefers active or stative constructions. For example, 'The meeting is being postponed' is more naturally 会議は延期されます (active) or 会議は延期になっています (stative) rather than a direct passive.
There is a delay occurring in the system.
交渉を引き延ばす戦略だ。
It's a strategy to drag out the negotiations.