Este későn megyek az ágyba, ezért keveset alszom.

In the evening I go to bed late, so I sleep little.

Breakdown of Este későn megyek az ágyba, ezért keveset alszom.

• este: the evening
• menni: to go
• kevés: little
• ezért: so
• -ba: to
• későn: late
• ágy: the bed
• aludni: to sleep

Questions & Answers about Este későn megyek az ágyba, ezért keveset alszom.

Why does the sentence start with Este? Could I also put it later in the sentence?

Hungarian often puts the time expression at the very beginning of the sentence.

• Este későn megyek az ágyba, ezért keveset alszom.
  Literally: In the evening, late I go to bed, therefore I sleep little.

This is the neutral, natural order: time – manner – verb – rest.

You can move este later, but it starts to sound marked or unnatural in everyday speech:

• Későn este megyek az ágyba… – sounds a bit odd; este is normally before everything or right after the verb.
• Későn megyek este az ágyba… – possible, but unusual; you might say it if you want to stress későn more and este less.

The version in your sentence is the standard word order a native would choose.

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Why is it este and not az este? When do you use the article?

In this sentence este is used as a general time adverb, meaning in the evening / at night (in general), not the specific evening.

• Este későn megyek az ágyba.
  = I go to bed late in the evenings / at night, as a habit.

If you say:

• Az este későn mentem az ágyba.
  = That evening I went to bed late (refers to a particular evening in the past).

So:

• este (without article) → general time, similar to at night / in the evening in habitual or generic statements
• az este → a specific evening, like that evening / the evening

Your sentence is about a habit, so este without the article is correct.

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What is the difference between késő and későn?

• késő is an adjective: late (describing a noun)

  • késő óra – late hour
  • késő vonat – late train

• későn is an adverb: late / late in time (describing a verb)

  • későn megyek az ágyba – I go to bed late
  • későn érkezem – I arrive late

In your sentence you are describing how you go to bed, so you need the adverb:

• későn megyek = I go late
  not
• késő megyek (incorrect)

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Why is it az ágyba and not ágyban? What is the difference between -ba and -ban?

Hungarian uses different case endings for direction (into) and location (in):

• -ba / -be = into (illative)
• -ban / -ben = in, inside (inessive)

In your sentence:

• ágy = bed
• ágyba = into bed
• ágyban = in bed

So:

• megyek az ágyba – I go to bed / into bed (movement towards)
• alszom az ágyban – I sleep in bed (location)

Your sentence is about going to bed, so -ba is needed.

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Why do we say az ágyba with the article az? Could we just say ágyba?

Both forms are possible, but there is a nuance:

• megyek az ágyba – I go to the bed (very natural when talking about your own bed; standard everyday phrasing)
• megyek ágyba – literally I go to bed without the article; also used, and can sound a bit more idiomatic/compact.

In speech, megyek ágyba is common and completely correct. Using az ágyba makes it sound slightly more specific or explicit, but in context English will still translate both as I go to bed.

So:

• Your sentence with az ágyba is fully natural.
• Este későn megyek ágyba, ezért keveset alszom. is also fine and common.

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Why is the subject I not written? Why just megyek and alszom without én?

In Hungarian, the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• megyek = I go
• mész = you go (singular)
• megy = he/she/it goes

Because this information is built into the verb, the pronoun én (I) is usually omitted, unless you want to stress it:

• Este későn megyek az ágyba. – neutral: I go to bed late at night.
• Én este későn megyek az ágyba. – I go to bed late at night (in contrast to others).

So leaving out én is the normal thing to do.

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What does ezért do in the sentence, and where can it go?

ezért means therefore / for this reason / so. It introduces the result or consequence of the first clause.

• Este későn megyek az ágyba, ezért keveset alszom.
  = I go to bed late at night, so I sleep little.

In terms of position:

• It usually stands at the beginning of the second clause, before the verb:
  
  • …ezért keveset alszom.

You can also say more explicitly:

• Este későn megyek az ágyba. Ezért keveset alszom.
  Two separate sentences; meaning stays the same.

ezért is not flexible like English so that you could easily move around. You normally keep it at the start of its clause.

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Why is it keveset alszom and not alszom keveset? Does word order change the meaning?

Both keveset alszom and alszom keveset are grammatical, but the neutral focus is different.

• Keveset alszom.
  Neutral statement: the new / important information is how much I sleep (little). This is the standard way to say I sleep little.

• Alszom keveset.
  Puts more weight on alszom (I do sleep, at least a bit) and then adds keveset. This can sound like:
  Well, I do sleep, but only a little.

In your cause-and-effect sentence:

• …ezért keveset alszom.
  is the natural, neutral way: so I sleep little.

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Would it be more natural to say későn fekszem le instead of későn megyek az ágyba?

Both are natural, but they are slightly different:

• későn megyek az ágyba
  Literally: I go to bed late.
  Very common, clear, everyday Hungarian.

• későn fekszem le
  Literally: I lie down late.
  This specifically focuses on the act of lying down to sleep. Also very natural.

Many speakers would actually prefer something like:

• Este későn fekszem le, ezért keveset alszom.

So yes, későn fekszem le is at least as natural as későn megyek az ágyba. They are close in meaning; the difference is small and more about style.

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Why is the simple present used? Does Este későn megyek az ágyba mean right now or usually?

In Hungarian, the simple present is used for both:

1. Habitual actions (what you usually do)
2. Ongoing / near-future actions (depending on context)

In your sentence:

• Este későn megyek az ágyba, ezért keveset alszom.
  This naturally reads as a habit:
  At night I go to bed late, so I sleep little (in general).

If you want to refer specifically to tonight, you would add a word like ma:

• Ma este későn megyek az ágyba.
  = Tonight I’m going to bed late.

So the verb form doesn’t change; the time word (ma este, most, holnap) clarifies the exact meaning.

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How is alszom formed from aludni? It looks irregular. What are the other forms?

Yes, aludni (to sleep) is irregular in the present tense. The stem changes:

Infinitive: aludni

Present tense (indefinite):

• én alszom – I sleep
• te alszol – you sleep (singular)
• ő alszik – he/she/it sleeps
• mi alszunk – we sleep
• ti alszotok – you sleep (plural)
• ők alszanak – they sleep

So in your sentence:

• keveset alszom = I sleep little.

Knowing this irregular paradigm helps you recognize and produce the correct forms.

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Could I say Este későn járok az ágyba instead of megyek?

Not really. járni usually means to go regularly / to attend / to frequent, and is not normally used with ágy in this sense.

Compare:

• iskolába járok – I go to school (regularly, as a student)
• edzőterembe járok – I go to the gym (habitually)

For going to bed, you use:

• ágyba megyek – I go to bed
• lefekszem – I lie down (to sleep)

So:

• Este későn megyek az ágyba… – correct and natural.
• Este későn járok az ágyba… – sounds wrong / unnatural.

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Is it possible to say Ezért alszom keveset instead of ezért keveset alszom?

It is possible, but the emphasis shifts slightly.

• …ezért keveset alszom.
  → Neutral, standard: the important information is that you sleep little.

• …ezért alszom keveset.
  → More emphasis on alszom (that you do sleep, but little). It can feel slightly less neutral, a bit more contrastive or explanatory in some contexts.

In most everyday situations, especially after explaining the cause, Hungarians would naturally say:

• Ezért keveset alszom.

That is the best match for That’s why I sleep little.