手早い答え
demorar はかかった時間、atrasar は予定・期限より遅れることです。
確実な見分け方は、英語から訳す前に、その単語の働きを見きわめることです。
それぞれの単語の働き
demorar
to take a long time
Use demorar for an action requiring time or someone being slow to arrive.
atrasar
to delay or be late
Use atrasar for moving something past its scheduled or expected time.
選び方
- demorar: Choose demorar if the sentence points to an action requiring time or someone being slow to arrive.
- atrasar: Choose atrasar if the sentence points to moving something past its scheduled or expected time.
例文
O conserto demorou duas semanas.
The repair took two weeks.
O trânsito atrasou o ônibus.
Traffic delayed the bus.
よくある落とし穴
A trip can demorar três horas and still not be atrasada if three hours was the planned duration.
文脈の中で練習する
自分の実生活から文を一つ選び、二回書いてみましょう。一度はdemorarで、もう一度はatrasarで。どちらも成り立ちそうなら、意味の違いを言葉にしてみましょう。