Spanish study note · Phrase for VA work
Sorry for the delay in Spanish: “Disculpe la demora”
By Soltura · Published · Reviewed
In a work email, write Disculpe la demora en responder or Lamento la demora. Both use usted and suit any Spanish-speaking client. Then go straight to the answer or a new time: Disculpe la demora. Le envío el informe hoy antes de las 5 de la tarde. With a colleague you address as tú: Perdona la demora. Demora and retraso mean the same here; the Real Academia Española dictionary lists each as a synonym of the other.
Part of Soltura’s Spanish study notes for virtual assistants.
The rule
| Spanish | Register | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Disculpe la demora (en responder). | Formal, usted | The safe default with clients |
| Le pido disculpas por la demora. | Formal, stronger | When the delay caused a problem |
| Lamento la demora en responder. | Formal | Expresses regret; no por |
| Perdona / Disculpa la demora. | Informal, tú | Colleagues and friends |
| Perdón por la demora. | Neutral | Short replies and chat |
Why the forms change. Disculpe and perdone are the usted commands of disculpar and perdonar; disculpa and perdona are the tú forms. The RAE defines disculpar as not holding someone’s faults or omissions against them, which is exactly the favour you’re asking. Lamentar is transitive in the dictionary (its own example is Lamento haber llegado tarde), so it takes the delay directly: Lamento la demora.
Demora or retraso? Either. The DLE defines demora as “tardanza, dilación” and gives retraso as a synonym, and vice versa. Add en + infinitive to say what was late: la demora en responder, el retraso en el envío.
Example sentences
| Spanish | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Disculpe la demora en responder. Ya revisé su solicitud. | Sorry for the late reply. I’ve reviewed your request. | Client email |
| Le pido disculpas por la demora en el envío del informe. | I apologise for the delay in sending the report. | When the delay mattered |
| Lamento la demora; le confirmo los cambios mañana a primera hora. | Sorry for the delay; I’ll confirm the changes first thing tomorrow. | Apology plus a new time |
| Perdona la demora, se me pasó tu mensaje. | Sorry for the delay, I missed your message. | Colleague, tú |
| Gracias por su paciencia. | Thank you for your patience. | Thanking instead of apologising |
| Hubo un retraso con el proveedor; el pedido llegará el lunes. | There was a delay with the supplier; the order will arrive on Monday. | Explaining a delay |
Common mistakes
Lamento por la demora→ Lamento la demora.- Using the tú form with a client you address as usted:
Disculpa la demora→ Disculpe la demora. - Spanglish in a client email:
Perdón por el delay→ Perdón por la demora. - Apologising three times and never giving a date. One apology plus a new time is enough.
- A long explanation of why you were late. Give the fix first; add a reason only if it helps the client.
Quick self-check
- Your client uses usted. How do you write “Sorry for the delay”? Answer: Disculpe la demora.
- Fix it: Lamento por la demora. Answer: Lamento la demora.
- A colleague you call tú. Same apology? Answer: Perdona la demora (or Disculpa la demora)
Practise it out loud
Soltura’s Ruta VA practises client messages like this in its VA modules, and in the customer handoff workday (Soltura Pro) you understand the case, act, confirm and hand it off. Soltura is a speaking-first Spanish app with a free plan; see Spanish for virtual assistants or plans and pricing.
Free on iPhone and iPad · Mac coming soon
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you say sorry for the delay in Spanish?
In a work email, Disculpe la demora or Lamento la demora en responder. With someone you address as tú, say Perdona la demora.
Is it demora or retraso?
Both work. The Real Academia Española dictionary gives each as a synonym of the other, so la demora en responder and el retraso en responder mean the same.
How do you say sorry for the late reply in Spanish?
Formal: Disculpe la demora en responder. Informal: Perdona que no te haya contestado antes.
Sources
- RAE–ASALE, Diccionario de la lengua española: “demora”, accessed Oct 10, 2026.
- DLE: “retraso”, accessed Oct 10, 2026.
- DLE: “disculpar”, accessed Oct 10, 2026.
- DLE: “lamentar” (sense 2), accessed Oct 10, 2026.