一足遅い · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 一足遅い | 一足遅くない |
| Polite | 一足遅いです | 一足遅くないですalso 一足遅くありません |
| Past polite | 一足遅かったです | 一足遅くなかったですalso 一足遅くありませんでした |
| Past | 一足遅かった | 一足遅くなかった |
| Te-form | 一足遅くて | 一足遅くなくて |
| Adverbial | 一足遅く | |
| Conditional | 一足遅ければ | 一足遅くなければ |
| Tara conditional | 一足遅かったら | 一足遅くなかったら |
slightly late; just after
Describes arriving or acting a moment too late, missing something by a small margin. Often used when someone just misses an event or opportunity.
I was slightly late and couldn't catch the train.
When he arrived, the meeting had just ended a moment earlier.
Compound of 一足 (ひとあし, 'one step') and 遅い (おそい, 'late'), literally 'one step late'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the phrase is conventionally associated with the idea of being a step behind.