Terminálba

Terminálba is the illative form of the Hungarian noun terminál, meaning “into the terminal.” In Hungarian, illative indicates movement toward the interior of a place and is formed by adding the suffix -ba or -be to the noun, with vowel harmony. For terminál, which ends with a back vowel, the correct illative suffix is -ba, producing terminálba. The word terminál itself is borrowed from English terminal and is used for both transportation hubs (airport terminals, bus terminals) and computer workstations or other kinds of terminal facilities.

Grammar and usage wise, terminálba appears primarily with verbs of motion, such as menni (to go) or bemenni (to enter). It answers questions like “Where are you going?” and denotes destination into the interior of the place. The illative contrasts with the inessive form terminálban, which means “in the terminal.” For example, A terminálba megyek means “I am going into the terminal,” while A terminálban vagyok means “I am in the terminal.”

Examples:

- A terminálba megyek. (I am going into the terminal.)

- Beléptem a terminálba. (I entered the terminal.)

- A terminálban várnak. (They are waiting in the terminal.)

Notes:

- Illative forms in Hungarian vary by root, with -ba/-be depending on vowel harmony; -ba is used after back vowels, -be after front vowels.

- Terminálba is a specific instance of the broader pattern of illative constructions used with places and buildings.