Fordonsskatten måste betalas i och med att bilen används.

The vehicle tax must be paid since the car is being used.

Breakdown of Fordonsskatten måste betalas i och med att bilen används.

• måste: must
• bilen: the car
• betala: to pay
• användas: to be used

Questions & Answers about Fordonsskatten måste betalas i och med att bilen används.

What does fordonsskatten mean, and how is that word built?

Fordonsskatten means the vehicle tax.

It is a compound noun:

• fordon = vehicle
• skatt = tax
• fordonsskatt = vehicle tax
• fordonsskatten = the vehicle tax

A couple of things are happening here:

• Swedish very often makes one word where English uses two.
• When nouns are combined, they form a compound noun.
• The final -en makes it definite: the vehicle tax.

Also notice the extra s in fordonsskatt. That s is a linking sound that often appears in Swedish compounds.

Why does Swedish use -en in fordonsskatten instead of a separate word for the?

In Swedish, the definite article is usually attached to the end of the noun.

So:

• en skatt = a tax
• skatten = the tax

And in the compound:

• en fordonsskatt = a vehicle tax
• fordonsskatten = the vehicle tax

This is very normal in Swedish. English uses a separate word (the), but Swedish often puts definiteness directly on the noun.

Why is it måste betalas and not måste betala?