késnek

Késnek is a Hungarian grammatical form, specifically the present indicative third-person plural of the verb késik, meaning to be late or to be delayed. It is used when the subject of the sentence is plural. For example: A vonatok késnek (The trains are late).

Formation and morphology: In Hungarian, present-tense verb endings attach to the verb stem. For third-person plural, the common ending is -nak or -nek, depending on vowel harmony; after front vowels, the form becomes -nek, yielding késnek in this verb. The form functions as a finite, finite-numbered clause element signaling lateness for multiple subjects.

Usage and notes: Késnek expresses lateness or delay rather than intentional tardiness. It appears in daily conversation, as well as in travel updates, news reports, and timetable discussions. The term is closely related to related forms such as késik (singular third-person form), késés (the noun form meaning lateness or delay), and other tense or mood variants of késik.

Etymology and related terms: The verb késik belongs to the periphrastic family describing time-related delay. The noun késés denotes the state or act of being late, while késik is the verb form describing the action itself. The plural form késnek aligns with Hungarian conjugation patterns for third-person plural present tense.