myöhään

Myöhään is a Finnish adverb meaning "late" in the sense of time. It is used to describe late hours or moments relative to a schedule or expectation. Common patterns include phrases such as "myöhään illalla" (late in the evening) and "myöhään yöllä" (late at night), or a general reference to a late occurrence, as in "Olen herännyt myöhään" (I woke up late).

In usage, myöhään often functions with a time expression or daypart and can describe events, activities, or personal timing. It can denote lateness within a day or season, for example "myöhään syksyllä" (late autumn). The word emphasizes the timing as being toward the end of a typical period or outside the expected time.

Distinctions from related words are important. The adjective myöhäinen means "late" in the sense of delayed or late in nature, and is used to describe nouns. The adverb myöhään is derived from this root and is used to modify verbs or entire clauses. For lateness of arrival, Finnish uses myöhässä (late or delayed); the word "myöhemmin" means "later" in a sequence rather than at the present moment.

Etymology: Myöhään derives from the root myöhä- meaning late, with the adverbial suffix -ään. It is a standard part of Finnish grammar and vocabulary, attested in usage across registers from colloquial to formal writing. Overall, it conveys a neutral sense of late timing.