Learn Hardcore Swedish: Plötsligt stannade taxin framför huset. - Suddenly the taxi stopped in front of the house.

Swedish main clauses follow the V2 (verb-second) rule: the finite verb must be in the second position. If you front an adverbial like Plötsligt (suddenly), the verb stannade comes next, then the subject taxin. Structure: [Plötsligt] [stannade] [taxin] [framför huset]. Plötsligt taxin stannade breaks V2 and is ungrammatical.

Can I also say Taxin stannade plötsligt framför huset?

Yes. Subject-first order is neutral. Starting with Plötsligt puts more focus on the suddenness. Both are correct.

Is Taxin stannade framför huset plötsligt okay?

Grammatically yes, but it often sounds like an afterthought. Swedish prefers plötsligt early: Plötsligt stannade taxin … or Taxin stannade plötsligt ….

Why is it taxin and not taxien?

Swedish usually marks definiteness with a suffix. en taxi → definite singular taxin (just add -n because the word ends in a vowel). Compare: en bil → bilen (ends in a consonant, takes -en).

Could I say den taxin?

Not by itself. With a plain noun you use the suffixed article: taxin. You add a free article only if there’s an adjective (double definiteness): den gula taxin (the yellow taxi).

What gender are taxi and hus, and how does that affect huset?

taxi is common gender: en taxi → taxin.
hus is neuter: ett hus → huset. We use huset here because a specific house is meant.

Could I say framför ett hus instead of framför huset?

Yes, but it changes the meaning to “in front of a house” (unspecified). framför huset assumes the house is identifiable from context.

What’s the difference between framför and utanför?

framför = in front of (spatially, at the front side): Taxin stannade framför huset.
utanför = outside (not inside; somewhere beyond the boundary), not necessarily at the front: Taxin stannade utanför huset. Both can be true at once, but they highlight different relations.

Is framför ever used for “before” in time?

No. For time, use före (preposition) or innan (subordinating conjunction): före middagen / innan vi åt.

Why stannade and not stannat?

stannade is the preterite (past simple) of stanna. stannat is the supine used with auxiliaries: Taxin har stannat (the taxi has stopped).

What’s the difference between stanna and stoppa?

stanna is intransitive: to come to a stop by itself. Taxin stannade = The taxi stopped.
stoppa is primarily transitive: to stop something/someone. Polisen stoppade taxin = The police stopped the taxi. Colloquially, some use intransitive stoppa (e.g., Bussen stoppade), but stanna is the standard choice for “come to a halt.”

Should there be a comma after Plötsligt?

Normally no. Swedish doesn’t put a comma after a short initial adverbial in a simple main clause. Plötsligt stannade taxin … is standard.

Where does the negation inte go?

Neutral: Plötsligt stannade taxin inte framför huset.
Without fronting: Taxin stannade inte framför huset. Placing inte before the subject gives contrastive focus: Plötsligt stannade inte taxin, utan bussen (It wasn’t the taxi that stopped, but the bus).

How would the yes–no question look?

Invert subject and verb: Stannade taxin plötsligt framför huset? (Verb first; Swedish has no do-support.)

Can I say plötsligen or helt plötsligt?

plötsligen exists but is formal/old-fashioned; plötsligt is much more common.
helt plötsligt is very common in speech but can feel colloquial/redundant. In writing, prefer plain plötsligt.

Any useful pronunciation tips?

ö in plötsligt and framför ≈ French “peu” / German “schön.”
x in taxin = /ks/.
u in huset is long /ʉː/ (rounded, fronted).
Stress: PLÖTS-ligt, TAX-in, FRAM-för, HU-set.

Why double n in stannade?

Swedish doubles the consonant after a short stressed vowel. The a in stanna is short, so the n is doubled. The preterite adds -de: stanna → stannade.

Can I front the place phrase instead: Framför huset stannade taxin plötsligt?

Yes. Fronting another element still triggers V2: Framför huset [stannade] taxin plötsligt. This order emphasizes the location.

Is framför one word or two?

One word: framför. Don’t write fram för.