elkéstünk

elkéstünk is a Hungarian verb form. It is the first-person plural past tense of the verb elkések, which means "to be late". Therefore, elkéstünk literally translates to "we were late" or "we have arrived late".

This verb form is commonly used in everyday Hungarian conversation to express that a group of people arrived at a destination or an event after the scheduled or expected time. For example, if a group of friends were supposed to meet at 7 PM but arrived at 7:15 PM, one of them might say "elnézést, elkéstünk" which means "sorry, we were late". The verb indicates a completed action in the past and specifically refers to the collective experience of being late by the speakers.

The structure of the word is formed by the prefix "el-" which often denotes completion or departure, the root "kés-" related to lateness, and the suffix "-tünk" which signifies the first-person plural past tense. The use of "elkéstünk" is straightforward and conveys a direct meaning of tardiness for a group. It is a fundamental part of expressing punctuality or lack thereof in Hungarian.