Breakdown of Здесь бывают ужасные очереди.
здесь
here
очередь
queue
бывать
to occur / to visit
ужасный
terrible
Questions & Answers about Здесь бывают ужасные очереди.
Why do we use бывают here instead of just saying Здесь ужасные очереди?
Using бывают adds the meaning of "tend to be" or "happen regularly." If you just said Здесь ужасные очереди, it would mean "There are awful queues here right now." Using бывают tells us this is a recurring problem, even if the place is empty at this exact moment.
Why is бывать conjugated as бывают in this sentence?
The verb must agree with the subject of the sentence. Here, the subject is the plural noun очереди (queues). Therefore, we use the third-person plural form бывают (they tend to be).
What gender is the singular form of очереди, and how do we form its plural?
The singular is очередь (queue or line), which is a feminine noun ending in a soft sign. To make feminine nouns ending in a soft sign plural, you replace the soft sign with -и, giving us очереди.
Why does the subject ужасные очереди come at the very end of the sentence?
In Russian, the most important or newest information often goes at the end of the sentence. When describing what exists in a location, it is standard to start with the place (Здесь), follow with the verb (бывают), and finish by revealing the things that exist there.