Jag letar efter postnumret.

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Breakdown of Jag letar efter postnumret.

• leta efter: to look for
• postnumret: the postal code

Questions & Answers about Jag letar efter postnumret.

Why is the verb leta used with the preposition efter?

Leta is intransitive in Swedish, so it cannot take a direct object by itself. You must add efter to introduce what you’re looking for. Leta efter literally means “to look for” or “to search for.”

Could I drop efter and still make sense?

Not with leta. If you drop efter, you need a transitive verb like söka:
• Jag söker postnumret. (“I’m searching for the postal code.”)

Why is postnumret in the definite form instead of postnummer?

Swedish marks definite nouns by adding a suffix. Postnummer is a neuter noun (ett-word), so its definite form is postnumret. You use the definite form here because you’re referring to a specific code (“the postal code”).

What gender is postnummer and how can I tell?

Postnummer is a neuter (ett-word). You’ll often see compounds inherit the gender of their head noun; here nummer is also an ett-word. Indefinite: ett postnummer. Definite: postnumret.

Why is postnummer one word instead of two words like in English?