Nycklarna ligger i en låda i köket.

The keys are in a drawer in the kitchen.

Breakdown of Nycklarna ligger i en låda i köket.

• i: in
• en: a
• ligga: to lie
• köket: the kitchen
• nyckeln: the key
• lådan: the drawer

Questions & Answers about Nycklarna ligger i en låda i köket.

Why is it nycklarna and not just nycklar or de nycklarna?

Swedish usually marks definiteness by adding an ending to the noun instead of using a separate word like the.

For nyckel (key):

• nyckel = a key (indefinite singular)
• nyckeln = the key (definite singular)
• nycklar = (some) keys (indefinite plural)
• nycklarna = the keys (definite plural)

So:

• nycklar would mean just keys in a general sense.
• nycklarna means the keys, specific ones the speaker has in mind.
• You normally do not say de nycklarna for simple “the keys”. De is only added if you have an adjective:
  
  • de röda nycklarna = the red keys.

Here, we’re talking about specific keys, so nycklarna is correct.

What is the base form of nycklarna, and how do I form all its singular and plural forms?

The base dictionary form is nyckel (an en-word, common gender). Its main forms:

Meaning	Form
a key	en nyckel
the key	nyckeln
(some) keys	nycklar
the keys	nycklarna

• Plural is formed by adding -ar: nyckel → nycklar.
• Definite plural adds -na: nycklar → nycklarna.

So nycklarna is “the keys” in the definite plural.

Why do we say ligger and not är here?

Swedish often uses special position verbs instead of just är for location:

• ligga (ligger) – to lie, be lying (usually things lying flat or just resting somewhere)
• stå (står) – to stand, be standing (things upright: bottles, people standing, buildings)
• sitta (sitter) – to sit, be sitting (people/animals sitting, things attached, etc.)

In this sentence, nycklarna ligger i en låda suggests:

• The keys are lying in the box (they’re just resting there).

You can say:

• Nycklarna är i en låda i köket.

That is grammatically correct, but it sounds more neutral and less natural than ligger here. Using ligger gives a more typical Swedish description of how the keys are positioned.

What about finns? Could I say Nycklarna finns i en låda i köket?

You can say that, but it changes the nuance:

• finnas (finns) = to be found / to exist / to be located

Nycklarna finns i en låda i köket sounds like:

• “The keys can be found in a box in the kitchen”
  – a bit more about where they exist / can be found, not how they are lying there.

So:

• ligger – natural physical position (“they’re lying in the box”).
• är – neutral “are in” (correct but less idiomatic here).
• finns – “are to be found / exist in that place” (slightly different focus).

Why is it i en låda, not i lådan?

This is about indefinite vs definite:

• en låda = a box (indefinite)
• lådan = the box (definite)

i en låda suggests any box, not a specific previously known one.
i lådan would mean a specific box that both speaker and listener know about, or that has already been mentioned.

So:

• First mention, not specified which box:
  
  • Nycklarna ligger i en låda i köket.
• Referring to a known box (for example, the top drawer box you always use):
  
  • Nycklarna ligger i lådan i köket.

Why is it i köket (definite) but i en låda (indefinite) in the same sentence?

Because we normally assume the kitchen is a specific, known place in the home, but the box is not necessarily specific.

• kök = kitchen
• ett kök = a kitchen (indefinite)
• köket = the kitchen (definite)
• i köket = in the kitchen (in the kitchen we both know about: yours, mine, ours, etc.)

So the sentence is basically:

• The keys (the specific keys we’re talking about)
• lie in a box (some box, not inherently known which)
• in the kitchen (the known kitchen of that home/place).

Why is it en låda but i köket? What’s going on with en and ett here?

Swedish nouns have two genders:

1. Common gender (en-words)

   • Use en as the indefinite article.
   • Example: en låda (a box).

2. Neuter gender (ett-words)

   • Use ett as the indefinite article.
   • Example: ett kök (a kitchen).

Definite forms are made by adding endings:

• en låda → lådan (the box)
• ett kök → köket (the kitchen)

In the sentence:

• en låda – indefinite: a box.
• i köket – definite: in the kitchen.

So:

• låda is an en-word.
• kök is an ett-word.

Can I change the order to Nycklarna ligger i köket i en låda?

Yes, that word order is grammatically possible, but it’s less natural.

Swedish tends to order nested locations from smaller to larger:

• i en låda i köket
  → in a box (smaller place) in the kitchen (larger place).

Nycklarna ligger i köket i en låda is understandable, but it sounds a bit awkward because it goes from larger place to smaller place. Native speakers almost always say:

• i en låda i köket in this kind of sentence.

Why is the preposition i used both for in a box and in the kitchen? When would I use på instead?

i usually means in / inside:

• i en låda – in a box (inside the box)
• i köket – in the kitchen (inside that room)

på often means on / at, and is used with:

• Surfaces: på bordet (on the table)
• Certain places by convention:
  
  • på jobbet (at work)
  • på restaurangen (at the restaurant)
  • på bussen (on the bus)

Here we are talking about being inside a container and inside a room, so i is the natural preposition.

Why is the verb form ligger the same whether it’s one key or several keys?

Swedish verbs don’t change form for singular vs plural subjects.

For the verb ligga (to lie):

• Jag ligger – I am lying
• Du ligger – you are lying
• Han/hon/den/det ligger – he/she/it is lying
• Vi ligger – we are lying
• Ni ligger – you (plural) are lying
• De ligger – they are lying

So:

• Nyckeln ligger … – The key lies …
• Nycklarna ligger … – The keys lie …

The verb form ligger is the same; only the noun changes between singular and plural.