myöhästyi

Myöhästyi is a Finnish verb meaning “was late” or “became late.” It is the past tense form (imperfect) of the intransitive verb myöhästyä, which means “to be late” or “to be delayed.” The form myöhästyi is third-person singular in the indicative mood. The present tense forms are myöhästyy (he/she/it is late) and minä myöhästyn (I am late). The related past participle is myöhästynyt, used in compound tenses.

Usage and nuance: myöhästyä describes lateness by a person or an event, such as arriving late to an appointment or a train departing later than scheduled. It is often contrasted with viivästyä, which emphasizes a delay in a schedule rather than personal lateness. The verb is commonly used in everyday speech and writing to report punctuality or lack thereof.

Examples: Hän myöhästyi tänä aamuna. (He/She was late this morning.) Lento myöhästyi. (The flight was delayed.) Myöhästyminen refers to the act or situation of being late or delayed, while myöhästyttää is the causative form meaning “to cause to be late.”

Etymology and related terms: myöhästyi derives from the Finnish adjective myöhäinen, meaning late, with the verbal suffix that marks the imperfect. Related words include myöhäisyys (lateness), myöhästyminen (delay), and myöhätyt (late ones). See also myöhästyä, viivästyä, and myöhäinen for broader context of lateness in Finnish.