Meaning and Usage
"手遅れ" (ておくれ) means "too late" or "beyond help". It is used when a situation has progressed to a point where no effective action can be taken to fix or improve it. This word often appears in serious contexts such as illness, problems, or emergencies.
Common Collocations
- 手遅れになる: to become too late
- 手遅れだと言う: to say it is too late
- 手遅れになる前に: before it becomes too late
These phrases emphasize the urgency or the missed opportunity to act.
Register and Nuance
"手遅れ" is a formal or neutral term, often used in written or serious spoken contexts. It conveys a sense of finality and sometimes regret. It is not casual or slang.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "手遅れ" with simply "遅い" (late). However, "手遅れ" implies that the delay has caused irreversible consequences, not just that something happened late. Use "手遅れ" when the timing has caused a problem that cannot be fixed.