Bontásban

Bontásban is a Hungarian locational phrase formed from the noun bontás, meaning disassembly, demolition, or decomposition, with the locative suffix -ban. The combination denotes that something is in the state of undergoing breakdown, disassembly, or demolition. The exact nuance depends on context: in construction and urban planning it almost always refers to physical demolition; in everyday language it can also mean a process of breakdown or decomposition more generally.

Etymology: bontás comes from bontani “to break” plus the nominalizing suffix -ás. The suffix -ban marks the inessive case, “in” or “in the midst of,” thus “in the process of breaking down.”

Usage: The phrase is most common in construction reporting and civil works. It is used to indicate activity at a site, e.g., Az épület bontásban van (The building is in the process of being demolished). It can also appear in more technical phrasing to describe a component or material undergoing disassembly—bontásban lévő részek (parts that are in the process of being disassembled). In science or chemistry, related expressions such as bontás or bomlás are usually preferred to describe decomposition.

See also: bontás, bontó, bontási eljárások.