Learn Hardcore Swedish: Kontoret ligger nära Eriks lägenhet, så han behöver inte resa långt. - The office is located near Erik's apartment, so he doesn't need to travel far.

Ligger is the present tense of the verb ligga, which means “to lie” or “to be situated.” In Swedish, when talking about the location of something like an office, it is common to say it “lies” somewhere—so kontoret ligger translates to “the office is located” or simply “the office is” in English. It emphasizes the fixed position of the office.

How is possession indicated in the phrase Eriks lägenhet?

In Swedish, possession is shown by adding an -s to the name without using an apostrophe. Thus, Eriks lägenhet means “Erik’s apartment.” This simple genitive construction is very common, and it works similarly to the English ’s, but without any punctuation.

Why doesn’t nära Eriks lägenhet require an additional preposition like “to” after nära?

In Swedish, nära already functions as a preposition meaning “near” or “close to.” There is no need to add a preposition after it because its usage inherently conveys proximity. This is similar to the English use of “near” without another preposition when describing location.

What is the role of så in this sentence?

Så in this context works as a coordinating conjunction that means “so” or “therefore.” It connects the two clauses of the sentence, indicating a result or consequence. Here, it shows that because the office is close to Erik’s apartment, he does not need to travel far.

How is negation applied in the clause han behöver inte resa långt?

In Swedish, negation is handled by placing inte right after the modal verb. In this case, behöver inte means “does not need.” The structure follows the typical Swedish pattern: modal (or auxiliary) verb + inte + main verb. Therefore, han behöver inte resa långt translates to “he doesn’t need to travel far,” with the negation correctly placed to alter the modal verb’s meaning.