Bilhandlaren förklarar fordonsskatten.

to explain

Breakdown of Bilhandlaren förklarar fordonsskatten.

• bilhandlaren: the car dealer
• fordonsskatten: the vehicle tax

Questions & Answers about Bilhandlaren förklarar fordonsskatten.

What does bilhandlaren mean, and why is it one word?

Bilhandlaren means the car dealer.

It is a compound noun, which is very common in Swedish. It is made up of:

• bil = car
• handlare = dealer, trader
• -n / -en = the definite ending

So:

• bilhandlare = car dealer
• bilhandlaren = the car dealer

Swedish often combines words into one noun where English would use two separate words.

Why does bilhandlaren end in -en?

The -en is the definite article suffix, meaning the.

In Swedish, the definite article is often attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word in front.

Compare:

• en bilhandlare = a car dealer
• bilhandlaren = the car dealer

So instead of saying a separate word for the, Swedish usually adds it to the noun.

What does förklarar mean, and what form is it?

Förklarar means explains or is explaining.

It is the present tense of the verb förklara = to explain.

Examples:

• att förklara = to explain
• förklarar = explains / is explaining
• förklarade = explained

In Swedish, the present tense often ends in -r.