"What does this mean - más bien tarde que temprano?"

Question

Hey guys, should this mean better later than early? But on Spanishdict it has it as the other way round lol I'm confused. Can any any shine any light on this please? Thanks, Mark.

Answer 1

Más bien tarde que temprano = Better later rather than sooner

But this sentence is rarely used. There is a saying that is similar and more used:

Más vale tarde que nunca - Better late than never

Answer 2

Se puede decir "Más vale llegar tarde que no llegar".

To shorten it you could say "Más vale tarde que nunca".

It's better to arrive late than never.

Answer 3

Your time of arrival for any given function should be based on the country you are in. To arrive somewhere early or even on time can be considered rude in some Spanish speaking countries. I speak from experience lol You are expected to arrive late to give your host more time to prepare for the event. If you look at your sentence again, knowing this, it does make sense.

True :) - ian-hill, Mar 26, 2014

Answer 4

I think "mas bien tarde que temprano" doesn´t make sense in Spain.

Answer 5

OK, I got it straight now...

Más bien tarde que temprano -- Later rather than sooner

Answer 6

I'm not so sure about this now. I will repost after I look into this.

Answer 7

Just a conjecture - temprano can mean "premature", so this saying could be "Better late than premature".