Questions & Answers about Båda barnen vill leka i parken.
Why is it båda barnen, not båda barn?
In Swedish, båda normally goes with a definite plural noun: båda barnen (both the children). You can also use båda with a determiner:
- båda mina barn (both my children)
- båda dessa barn (both these children) But plain båda barn is ungrammatical in standard Swedish.
Can I say både barnen instead of båda barnen?
Prefer båda barnen. Use både to pair two separate items with och:
- Både Lisa och Kalle vill leka. Colloquial både barnen occurs, but stick to båda barnen as the standard form.
Why is it vill leka and not vill att leka or vill leker?
After modal verbs (like vill, kan, ska, måste, får, bör), Swedish uses the bare infinitive without att:
- Correct: båda barnen vill leka
- Not correct: vill att leka Also, leker is a finite present form used on its own: Barnen leker i parken (The children are playing in the park).
Why do we say and not ?