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tardo

late

adjective TAHR-doh Rare

Origin: Latin tardus, slow

Also means

slow

Usage Note

Tardo differs from tardi (the adverb 'late'): tardo is an attributive adjective meaning late-in-period (tardo Medioevo = late Middle Ages) or, informally, slow-witted. To say 'I'm late' use sono in ritardo, not sono tardo, which sounds insulting. The feminine is tarda, plural tardi/tarde.

Examples

"È un'opera del tardo Ottocento."

Natural Translation

It is a work from the late nineteenth century.

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