Én soha nem kések.

I never arrive late.

Breakdown of Én soha nem kések.

• én: I
• nem: not
• soha: never
• késni: to be late

Questions & Answers about Én soha nem kések.

Can I drop the pronoun Én?

Yes. Hungarian is pro‑drop. The verb ending already shows the person. So the most natural version is simply: Soha nem kések. Use Én only for emphasis or contrast (for example, “I never am late,” as opposed to someone else).

Why are there two negatives (soha + nem)? Isn’t that a double negative?

Hungarian uses negative concord: negative words like soha (never), senki (nobody), semmi (nothing) normally appear together with nem before the verb. So Soha nem kések is the standard way to say “I never am late.” This is not considered “double negative” in Hungarian; it’s just correct negation.

Can I rearrange the word order? For example, Nem kések soha or Soha sem kések?

• Soha nem kések is the most neutral.
• Nem kések soha is also correct; it puts a bit more focus on “I don’t be late,” with “soha” as an afterthought.
• Soha sem kések / Sohasem kések / Sosem kések / Sose kések are all natural variants. Here sem (or its contracted forms) carries the negation, so you don’t use nem with it.

Why is it kések and not something with “to be,” like vagyok késő?

Hungarian has a dedicated verb késik meaning “to be late.” So you say kések (“I am late”). Saying vagyok késő is not idiomatic. Alternatives you will hear:

• Késésben vagyok. = I’m running late.
• Későn érkezem / Későn érek oda. = I (will) arrive late.
• Impending lateness: El fogok késni or simply Elkések.

Does this sentence mean “I have never been late” (life experience), or “I am never late” (habit)?

Én soha nem kések expresses a general habit: “I am never late.”
For life experience (“I have never been late (before)”), Hungarian typically says:

• Még soha nem késtem. (the most natural)
• Soha nem késtem. (also possible, but adding még corresponds better to English “never yet/ever.”)

Why is it kések and not késem?

Hungarian has two conjugations: indefinite and definite. Késik is intransitive (no direct object), so you use the indefinite conjugation: kések (not késem). The -m ending is for 1st person singular definite, which you’d use with a definite direct object—something you can’t have with késik.

What’s the dictionary form of kések, and how does it conjugate?

• Infinitive: késni (“to be late”)
• 3rd person sg. present (dictionary citation form in many sources): késik (“he/she/it is late”)

Present tense, indefinite:

• én kések
• te késel
• ő késik
• mi késünk
• ti késtek
• ők késnek

How do I say “I’m running late,” “I will be late,” or “I won’t be late”?

• “I’m running late”: Késésben vagyok.
• “I will be late”: El fogok késni or simply Elkések (perfective present often refers to a near‑certain future result).
• “I won’t be late”: Nem fogok elkésni or Nem fogok késni.

Can I use sose(m) instead of soha?

Yes. These are very common:

• Sose kések.
• Sosem kések. They mean the same as Soha nem kések. Style-wise, sose/sosem can sound a bit more informal.

Do I always need nem with soha?

With the soha variant, yes: Soha nem kések.
You don’t use nem if you switch to the sem variant: Sohasem kések / Soha sem kések.
Exception: in short, elliptical answers you can say just Soha! (“Never!”).

How do I pronounce this? What’s up with Hungarian “s” and “sz”?

• s is pronounced like English “sh” in “shoe.”
• sz is like English “s” in “see.”
• é is a long “e” sound; length matters.
  Approximate: Én [ehn, long e], soha [sho-ha], nem [nem], kések [keh-shek, with a long first vowel].

Where is the stress?

Hungarian stress is always on the first syllable of the word: Én | soha | nem | kések.

Do the accents (diacritics) matter in writing?

Yes. Diacritics are part of the spelling. Én is different from plain “en” (which isn’t a word), and kések with long é is correct. Fun fact: kések also means “knives” (plural of kés, “knife”). Context disambiguates:

• Én soha nem kések. = I never am late.
• Az új kések élesek. = The new knives are sharp.

Is there a positive way to express the same idea?

Yes: Mindig pontos vagyok. = “I’m always punctual/on time.”
This avoids negation and sounds very natural.

Can I say “I’m not late now” with the same verb?

Yes. Use the present: Most nem kések.
If you mean “I didn’t arrive late (this time),” use the past: Most nem késtem.