Ons staan lank in 'n ry by die toonbank.

Ons means we.

It is the subject of the sentence, so it comes first in a normal main clause:

• Ons staan ... = We stand / We are standing ...

Afrikaans does not change the verb for different persons in the present tense, so ons staan uses the same verb form staan that you also see with other subjects.

Yes, staan literally means stand, but in this sentence it can also sound natural in the wider sense of standing / waiting in a queue.

So:

• Ons staan in 'n ry = We are standing in a line / queue

Afrikaans often uses the simple present where English might prefer are standing.

Afrikaans usually does not use a separate present-tense verb like English am / is / are before another verb in sentences like this.

English:

• We are standing

Afrikaans:

• Ons staan

So the present tense is often simpler in Afrikaans than in English.

Lank means long or for a long time, depending on context.

In this sentence, it means something like:

• We stand in a queue for a long time
• We wait in line for a long time

So lank is functioning as an adverb of time here.

Examples:

• Ek wag lank. = I wait a long time.
• Hy slaap lank. = He sleeps for a long time.

In a basic Afrikaans main clause, the verb usually comes early, often in the second position, and adverbs like lank commonly come after it.

So this order is very natural:

• Ons staan lank in 'n ry ...

A learner-friendly way to read it is:

• Ons = subject
• staan = verb
• lank = time/how long
• in 'n ry = in a queue
• by die toonbank = at the counter

Afrikaans word order is often fairly close to English in simple sentences, but the verb position is important.

'n is the Afrikaans indefinite article, meaning a or an.

So:

• 'n ry = a queue / a line

It is always written in lowercase, even if it begins a sentence in normal writing. If it starts a sentence, the next word gets the capital letter:

• 'n Man staan daar. = A man is standing there.

The apostrophe is simply part of its spelling.

Here, ry means line or queue.

So:

• in 'n ry = in a line / in a queue

Be careful: ry can also be a verb meaning ride or drive, depending on context.

Examples:

• Ek ry motor. = I drive a car.
• Ons staan in 'n ry. = We are standing in a queue.

So the meaning depends on how it is used in the sentence.

By die toonbank means at the counter.

• by = at / by / near
• die = the
• toonbank = counter

So the phrase tells you where the queue is.

Toonbank is a compound noun:

• toon = show/display
• bank = counter/bench

You do not need to translate the parts literally in normal use; just learn toonbank as counter.

By is commonly used in Afrikaans for being at a place, especially near a point or location.

So:

• by die toonbank = at the counter

This is very natural Afrikaans. English and Afrikaans do not always use the same preposition, so it is best to learn the whole phrase:

• by die toonbank
• by die deur = at the door
• by die winkel = at the shop/store

Because they are doing different jobs:

• 'n ry = a queue → an indefinite noun, not a specific one
• die toonbank = the counter → a definite noun, a specific counter

So the sentence is talking about:

• a queue
• the counter

This is the same distinction as English a/an versus the.

It is singular: the counter.

If it were plural, you would normally see:

• toonbanke = counters

So:

• by die toonbank = at the counter
• by die toonbanke = at the counters

A very direct translation is:

• We stand long in a queue at the counter.

But more natural English would usually be:

• We stand in line at the counter for a long time.
• We wait in a queue at the counter for a long time.

This is a good reminder that you should not always translate Afrikaans word-for-word, even when the structure is clear.

A learner often finds this phrase tricky.

• 'n is pronounced like a very short, unstressed uh sound, similar to the a in about
• ry is pronounced roughly like ray for many learners, though you should listen to native pronunciation because the Afrikaans r may sound stronger than in English

So in 'n ry is something like:

• in uh ray

The spelling may look unusual, but it becomes familiar quickly.