myöhästää

Myöhästää is a Finnish verb that means "to be late" or "to delay." It is commonly used in everyday language to describe the act of arriving after the scheduled or expected time. The verb belongs to the second conjugation class in Finnish, and its infinitive form is "myöhästyä." The conjugation varies according to tense and mood, with present tense forms like "myöhässä" (am late) and past tense forms such as "myöhästyi" (was late). It often appears in contexts involving punctuality, appointments, transportation, and scheduling.

In Finnish, expressing lateness using "myöhästää" can involve different syntactic structures depending on the emphasis. For example, "Olen myöhässä" translates to "I am late," while "Hän myöhästyi" means "He/She was late." The verb can also be modified with adverbs such as "aikaisin" (early) or "myöhään" (late) to specify the degree or timing of lateness.

The root of the word, "myöhä," relates to the concept of delay or lateness, deriving from Finnish and possibly older Uralic language roots. The verb is frequently used in both formal and informal speech and is integral to discussions about time management and punctuality in Finnish culture.

Understanding "myöhästää" is useful for navigating social and professional situations where punctuality is valued. Its conjugation and use exemplify key aspects of Finnish verb morphology and the importance placed on time in Finnish society.