The situation
A participant running late sends this message.
English meaning: Please start eating without me. I'll be a little late.
Read the Japanese original
先に召し上がっていてください。私は少し遅れます。The questionWhat follows the sender's intention?
Read the explanation
Clues in the scene
Please start eating without me. I'll be a little late.
The speaker explicitly allows the meal to begin before their own arrival.
Each choice explained
It is fine to begin eating before they arrive — Best fit
The message says the person will be late and others may start. It removes the need to wait for their arrival.
Everyone should cancel the meal — Does not fit
No cancellation is requested. Asking people to start leaves the meal itself going ahead.
The sender will definitely be absent — Does not fit
Being a little late is not definite non-attendance. Delay and absence are different states.
Postpone the meal until tomorrow — Does not fit
The speaker’s arrival is delayed, not the date of the entire meal. Tomorrow is not mentioned.
Same words, another scene
The traveller also sends information showing that the venue is still two hours away. They use the same two sentences, though arriving during the scheduled meal may now be difficult.
The permission to begin is unchanged, but “a little late” does not guarantee imminent arrival. Actual travel time helps decide where and how to join later.
Shall we start eating and tell you where to join us afterwards?
Literal meaning
The speaker will arrive late and asks the others to begin eating first.
What these words cannot tell us
The arrival time, whether to save a portion and how to handle any food already ordered remain undecided.
A question to ask in real life
We will start. Would you like us to save a plate for you?