Spanish · Retrasos / cambios
The train is late: what to say in Spanish
The train is delayed.
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How it's done. A delay is a retraso; cancelado means cancelled; huelga a strike; incidencia an incident; announcements say Disculpen las molestias.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
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The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
YOU START
Perdone, ¿por qué hay retraso?
Pehr-DOH-neh, por keh igh reh-TRAH-soh?
Excuse me, why is there a delay?
THEY SAY
Hay una incidencia en la vía. Estará en media hora.Igh OO-nuh een-see-DAYN-syuh en lah BEE-uh. Es-tuh-RAH en MEH-dyuh OH-ruh.
There's an incident on the track. It will be here in half an hour.
They might also say:
Un problema en la vía. Llegará con media hora de retraso.
Oon proh-BLEH-muh en lah BEE-uh. Yeh-guh-RAH kohn MEH-dyuh OH-ruh deh reh-TRAH-soh.
A problem on the track. It will arrive half an hour late.
2
YOU REPLY
¿Dónde puedo esperar?
DOHN-deh poo-EH-doh es-peh-RAHR?
Where can I wait?
THEY SAY
En la sala de espera, al fondo.En lah SAH-luh deh es-PEH-ruh, ahl FOHN-doh.
In the waiting room, at the back.
3
YOU FINISH
Muchas gracias. Espero allí.
MOO-chuhs GRAH-syuhs. Es-PEH-roh igh-EE.
Thank you very much. I'll wait there.
THEY SAY
De nada. Disculpe las molestias.Deh NAH-duh. Dees-KOOL-peh lahs moh-LES-tyuhs.
You're welcome. Sorry for the inconvenience.
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “Spanish for life in Spain”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Perdone
Pehr-DOH-neh
verb
excuse me, sorry
hay
igh
verb
there is, there are
retraso
reh-TRAH-soh
noun
delay
incidencia
een-see-DAYN-syuh
noun
incident
vía
BEE-uh
noun
way, route
Estará
Es-tuh-RAH
verb
will be
21 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
¿Puede repetirlo, por favor?
Poo-EH-deh reh-peh-TEER-loh, por fuh-BOR?
Can you repeat that, please?
¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor?
Poo-EH-deh uh-BLAHR mahs des-PAH-syoh, por fuh-BOR?
Can you speak more slowly, please?
¿Qué significa esto?
Keh seeg-nee-FEE-kuh ES-toh?
What does this mean?
Similar situations
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