Breakdown of Han letar efter sina cykelhjälmar.
han
he
leta efter
to look for
cykelhjälmen
the bike helmet
sina
his
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Questions & Answers about Han letar efter sina cykelhjälmar.
What is the English translation of the sentence "Han letar efter sina cykelhjälmar"?
The sentence translates to "He is looking for his bicycle helmets." This breaks down to "Han" meaning "He," "letar efter" meaning "is looking for," and "sina cykelhjälmar" meaning "his bicycle helmets."
What does the verb phrase "letar efter" consist of, and how does it function in the sentence?
"Letar efter" is made up of "letar," which is the present tense form of "leta" (meaning "to search") and "efter," a preposition that translates to "for." Together, they form the equivalent of the English phrasal verb "to look for," indicating the action that the subject is performing.
Why is the reflexive possessive pronoun "sina" used instead of "hans" in this sentence?
In Swedish, a reflexive possessive like "sina" is used when the possessor is also the subject of the sentence. Here, since "han" (he) is both the subject and the owner of the bicycle helmets, "sina" correctly indicates that the helmets belong to him. If referring to someone else’s belongings, one would use "hans."
What is the singular form of "cykelhjälmar," and what does it mean?
The singular form is "cykelhjälm," which means "bicycle helmet." In the sentence, the plural "cykelhjälmar" is used to indicate that there are multiple helmets being looked for.
How does the word order in this Swedish sentence compare to English?
The word order in this sentence follows a structure very similar to English. It starts with the subject "Han" (He), is followed by the verb phrase "letar efter" (is looking for), and concludes with the object "sina cykelhjälmar" (his bicycle helmets). While more complex Swedish sentences might have variations, simple sentences like this one align closely with English word order.