Myöhästelyä

Myöhästelyä is a Finnish noun referring to lateness or the act of delaying. It denotes the state of not arriving on time or of postponing tasks beyond their planned schedule. The related verb is myöhästyä (to be late), and the noun myöhästely (often in the form myöhästelyä in the partitive) expresses the phenomenon as a process or condition. In everyday language, myöhästelyä is used to describe delays in various contexts, such as appointments, transportation, or project timelines.

Grammatically, myöhästelyä is the partitive singular form of myöhästely. Finnish also uses myöhästyminen to refer to lateness as a noun for the act of becoming late, while myöhästely can carry a sense of ongoing delaying or a habitual pattern. The choice between forms can affect nuance, with myöhästyminen often appearing in formal or technical discussions and myöhästely appearing in broader or more general descriptions.

Causes of myöhästelyä vary and can be categorized as personal, situational, or organizational. Personal factors include time mismanagement or procrastination. Situational factors encompass traffic, weather, health issues, or late-breaking developments. Organizational factors involve overloaded schedules, unclear instructions, or inadequate resources. The social perception of lateness in Finland generally regards punctuality as important, especially in formal settings; repeated lateness can affect perceived reliability and may lead to administrative or workplace consequences, though allowances are common for unforeseen circumstances.

See also: myöhästyä, myöhästyminen, aikataulu, pikkutarkkuus.