Breakdown of Barnen leker mitt i vardagsrummet.
barnet
the child
leka
to play
vardagsrummet
the living room
mitt i
in the middle of
Questions & Answers about Barnen leker mitt i vardagsrummet.
Why is it barnen and not just barn?
Barn means children or child/children depending on context, but barnen means the children.
In Swedish, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like the in English.
- ett barn = a child
- barn = children
- barnen = the children
So Barnen leker means The children are playing.
Why does leker end in -er?
Leker is the present tense of the verb leka, which means to play.
For many Swedish verbs, the present tense is made with -r, and for verbs like leka, the form becomes:
- leka = to play
- leker = play / are playing
Swedish does not usually separate play and are playing the way English does. The simple present often covers what English expresses with the present progressive.
So Barnen leker can mean:
- The children play
- The children are playing
In this sentence, the natural English translation is usually The children are playing.