Breakdown of Vårt hus ligger nära biblioteket.
huset
the house
biblioteket
the library
ligga
to lie
nära
near
Questions & Answers about Vårt hus ligger nära biblioteket.
What does vårt mean, and why is it vårt and not vår or våra?
vårt is the possessive pronoun our used with a singular neuter noun. Swedish nouns are either common (en-words) or neuter (ett-words). vårt matches neuter singular (ett-words) like hus. For a common gender you’d use vår, and for plural you’d use våra (e.g. våra hus for “our houses”).
Why does biblioteket end with -et?
“Bibliotek” is an ett-word (neuter). The definite singular form of neuter nouns is created by adding -et. So bibliotek (a library) becomes biblioteket (the library).
What is ligger, and why is it used here?
ligger is the third person singular present tense of the verb ligga (“to lie” or “to be located”). It’s commonly used to describe where buildings or places are situated. So Vårt hus ligger nära biblioteket literally means “Our house is located near the library.”
What part of speech is nära, and do you need another preposition?
nära is a preposition meaning “near” or “close to.” It directly takes a noun without any extra word. Thus you say ligger nära biblioteket, not ligger nära till biblioteket or similar.