Sarokban

Sarokban is a Hungarian locative form derived from the noun sarok (corner) plus the suffix -ban, which marks location as “in” or “inside.” The word is used to describe the position of objects or people relative to a corner, or to convey a state in a figurative sense.

Etymology and form: The term follows standard Hungarian morphology, combining the base noun with the instrumental locative suffix -ban. It can appear with or without the definite article, depending on sentence structure, but common usage is with the article when specifying a particular corner, as in a sarokban.

Usage in everyday language: Physically, sarokban describes location. Examples include “A kanapé a sarokban van” (The sofa is in the corner) and “A gyerekek a sarokban játszanak” (The children are playing in the corner). In interior design or descriptive writing, sarokban helps situate objects within a room or space.

Idiomatic and extended meaning: Sarokban can be used metaphorically to indicate a difficult or constrained position, akin to being “cornered.” For example, “A gyanúsítottat a sarokba szorították” means they cornered or pressured the suspect. The related verb phrase sarokba szorítani expresses the act of cornering someone.

Related terms: The base word sarok (corner) is the primary related term; other locative forms include on, in, and near variants formed with the appropriate suffixes in Hungarian.

See also: sarok, lenni, szorítani.