A kis késés miatt a tanár is később érkezik.

Because Hungarian is using the definite article twice:

• a kis késés = the small/slight delay
• a tanár = the teacher

Each noun phrase gets its own article, just as in English you can say the delay and the teacher.

Also, in this sentence a kis késés usually sounds like a specific, already known delay, not just any delay.

Miatt means because of or due to.

Hungarian often uses postpositions instead of prepositions. That means the word comes after the noun, not before it.

So:

• a kis késés miatt = because of the small/slight delay

Compare the structure:

• English: because of the delay
• Hungarian: the delay because-of

This is completely normal in Hungarian.

Both kis and kicsi can mean small/little, but they are not used in exactly the same way.

In front of a noun, kis is very common and natural:

• kis késés = small/slight delay

Kicsi is also possible in some contexts, but kis is the more typical adjective form directly before a noun in many everyday expressions.

Also, kis késés often sounds like a minor delay or a slight delay, not literally just physically small.

This is a very common question, because egy kis can be confusing.

• kis késés = small/slight delay
• egy kis késés = a small delay

But egy kis can also sometimes mean something like a little bit of, depending on context.

In this sentence, a kis késés points to a specific delay: the slight delay.

Is usually means also, too, or sometimes even.

Here:

• a tanár is = the teacher too / the teacher also

So the idea is that not only someone else is affected — the teacher as well arrives later.

A very important point: is attaches to the word or phrase it belongs to.

• a tanár is = the teacher too
• if is were attached somewhere else, the meaning emphasis would change

Később means later.

It comes from késő = late / later as an adjective, with the comparative ending -bb.

So:

• késő = late
• később = later

In this sentence, később érkezik = arrives later.

Here it functions like an adverb.

It describes how/when the teacher arrives:

• érkezik = arrives
• később érkezik = arrives later

So in this sentence, később modifies the verb.

Hungarian often uses the present tense for actions in the future when the context makes the future clear.

So érkezik can mean:

• arrives
• or will arrive

depending on context.

That means this sentence could naturally be understood as something like:

• Because of the slight delay, the teacher will also arrive later

Hungarian does have ways to make future meaning more explicit, but plain present tense is very common.

Érkezik means arrives.

It is related to reaching a destination, while jön means comes.

So:

• jön = comes
• érkezik = arrives

In many contexts both could be translated naturally into English, but érkezik focuses more on the arrival itself.

Hungarian word order is more flexible than English word order, and it often shows topic and emphasis rather than just grammar.

In this sentence:

• A kis késés miatt sets the reason or background: because of the slight delay
• a tanár is introduces the subject with also
• később érkezik gives the main new information: arrives later

So the sentence is structured very naturally as:

Because of the slight delay, the teacher also arrives later.

Yes, the word order could change, but that would usually change the emphasis.

Because miatt itself is the postposition that carries the meaning because of.

So Hungarian does not need an extra case ending on késés here. The noun stays in its basic form, and miatt follows it:

• késés miatt = because of delay

This is normal with many Hungarian postpositions.

Yes, they are related in meaning.

• késés = delay
• később = later

They come from the same general idea of lateness:

• késik = to be late
• késés = being late / delay
• késő = late
• később = later

So the sentence uses two closely related words:

• delay
• later

That is why the sentence has a very clear internal logic.

Yes, very often that is exactly what is suggests.

Because the sentence says a tanár is, it often implies:

• someone else is arriving later too
• and the teacher as well is affected

So is can quietly signal that the teacher is one more person in the same situation.