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Ma hosszú sor áll a bankban.

Ma hosszú sor áll a bankban.
Today there is a long line at the bank.

Breakdown of Ma hosszú sor áll a bankban.

ma
today
-ban
in
állni
to stand
hosszú
long
sor
the line
bank
the bank
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Questions & Answers about Ma hosszú sor áll a bankban.

Why is there no word for is/there is (like van) in this sentence?

Hungarian often expresses there is/there are with a verb like van (to be) or with a more specific verb that describes the situation. Here the verb áll (stands) is used idiomatically for a line/queue: sor áll = there is a queue (standing). Because áll already functions as the predicate, you don’t add van.

Does sor áll literally mean “a row stands”? Is that a fixed expression?

Yes, literally sor = row/line/queue and áll = stand, but together it’s a very common, natural way to say there is a queue. It’s close to English there’s a line (with the imagery that the line is “standing” somewhere).

Why is it hosszú sor and not something like sor hosszú?

In Hungarian, attributive adjectives normally come before the noun:

  • hosszú sor = a long line
    Putting the adjective after the noun is generally not the normal “basic” attributive pattern (post-nominal placement is rare and usually has special stylistic/poetic effects).
What does a bankban mean grammatically? Why is -ban used?

bank = bank (the place)
-ban/-ben is the inessive case, meaning in (inside something).
So: bank + -ban → bankban = in the bank.
It’s -ban (not -ben) because of vowel harmony: bank has back vowels, so it takes the back-vowel version -ban.

Why is there an article a before bankban?

Hungarian uses definite articles very commonly with specific places you have in mind in the given context. a bankban often corresponds to English at the bank / in the bank (a particular bank, or the bank as a known location in the situation). It can also sound natural even when English might omit the.

Why is there no article before hosszú sor? Should it be egy hosszú sor or a hosszú sor?

Both are possible depending on what you want to emphasize. With no article (Hosszú sor áll…), Hungarian often gives a general, descriptive statement: There’s a long line…

  • Egy hosszú sor áll a bankban. = There is a (one) long line in the bank. (introducing it more explicitly)
  • A hosszú sor a bankban áll. = The long line is in the bank. (talking about a specific known line)

The version given is a very natural “news-like” observation: Today, long queue in the bank.

What’s the subject here, and what’s the basic word order?

The grammatical subject is hosszú sor (a long line). The verb is áll (stands).
A neutral/basic order is often: [time] [subject] [verb] [place]
So: Ma (today) + hosszú sor + áll + a bankban.

Could the word order be changed? Would it still be correct?

Yes—Hungarian word order is flexible, and changes usually affect focus/emphasis.

Examples:

  • Ma a bankban áll hosszú sor. = Focus on in the bank (as opposed to elsewhere).
  • A bankban ma hosszú sor áll. = Neutral, but foregrounds the location.
  • Hosszú sor áll ma a bankban. = Slight emphasis on today being the relevant time.

All are grammatical; the “best” one depends on what you’re contrasting or highlighting.

Why is the verb áll in 3rd person singular, not plural?

Because sor (line/queue) is singular. Even though a queue contains many people, grammatically it’s one line.
So: sor áll (singular) is correct, just like English: A line is… not A line are…

How would it change if there were multiple lines?

Then you’d pluralize sor and conjugate the verb accordingly:

  • Ma hosszú sorok állnak a bankban.
    sorok = lines (plural)
    állnak = stand (3rd person plural)
Is bankban pronounced as two separate words? How do I say it?

It’s one word: bankban. Roughly: bahnk-bahn (with Hungarian a like an open back a).
Hungarian stress is almost always on the first syllable of the word, so: BANK-ban.

Could I also say this with a verb meaning “to be” or “to wait”?

Yes, depending on meaning:

  • With van (to be): Ma hosszú sor van a bankban. = Today there is a long queue in the bank. (very common)
  • With várakozik (to wait): Ma sokan várakoznak a bankban. = Today many people are waiting in the bank. (shifts focus from the “line” to the people)