Under strömavbrottet tände hon två stearinljus och gav mig en ficklampa.

In Swedish, under can mean both under/below and during, depending on context.

• under bordet = under the table
• under sommaren = during the summer
• under strömavbrottet = during the power outage

So in this sentence, under is a time expression, not a location word.

Strömavbrott is a neuter noun: ett strömavbrott = a power outage.

Here it appears as strömavbrottet, which is the definite form: the power outage.

Swedish often uses the definite form when talking about a specific event that both speaker and listener can identify. So:

• ett strömavbrott = a power outage
• strömavbrottet = the power outage

In this sentence, it refers to a particular outage, not just any outage.

It is a compound noun plus the definite ending.

• ström = electricity/current
• avbrott = interruption
• strömavbrott = power outage
• strömavbrottet = the power outage

Because strömavbrott is an ett noun, the definite singular ending is -et:

• ett strömavbrott
• strömavbrottet

Tände is the past tense of tända, which means to light, to ignite, or to switch on, depending on the object.

Here it means lit:

• tända ett ljus = to light a candle
• hon tände två stearinljus = she lit two candles

A few useful forms:

• att tända = to light
• tänder = lights / is lighting
• tände = lit
• tänt = lit (supine/past participle in some uses)

After a number, Swedish normally uses the indefinite plural.

So:

• ett stearinljus = a candle
• två stearinljus = two candles

You would only use the definite plural if you meant the two candles:

• de två stearinljusen = the two candles

So två stearinljus is exactly what you expect after två.

Some Swedish nouns have the same form in singular and plural.

Here:

• ett stearinljus = a candle
• två stearinljus = two candles

This is normal for many neuter nouns, especially ones ending in -ljus or similar patterns.

So even though English adds -s in candles, Swedish does not always add a visible plural ending.

Ljus can mean candle, but it can also mean light depending on context.

• ett ljus = a candle / a light
• stearinljus = a stearin candle, usually just an ordinary wax candle

Using stearinljus makes it more specific. In everyday English, you would usually just translate it as candle unless the material matters.

Gav is the past tense of ge, which means to give.

Useful forms:

• att ge = to give
• ger = gives / is giving
• gav = gave
• gett = given

So:

• gav mig en ficklampa = gave me a flashlight

Both patterns are possible, but gav mig en ficklampa is the most natural and common here.

Swedish often puts the indirect object directly after the verb:

• hon gav mig en ficklampa = she gave me a flashlight

You can also say:

• hon gav en ficklampa till mig

But that usually sounds more marked, more emphatic, or less neutral in this context.

So the sentence uses the standard, natural word order.

Because mig is the object form of the pronoun.

• jag = I
• mig = me

In this sentence, the speaker is receiving the flashlight, so the pronoun is an object:

• hon gav mig en ficklampa = she gave me a flashlight

Compare:

• jag gav henne en bok = I gave her a book
• hon gav mig en ficklampa = she gave me a flashlight

This is because Swedish follows the V2 rule in main clauses: the finite verb usually comes in the second position.

The sentence begins with a time expression:

• Under strömavbrottet = during the power outage

When that comes first, the verb must still stay second, so the subject comes after the verb:

• Under strömavbrottet tände hon två stearinljus ...

Compare:

• Hon tände två stearinljus under strömavbrottet.
• Under strömavbrottet tände hon två stearinljus.

Both are correct, but when the time phrase is moved to the front, tände must come before hon.

Because the sentence has one subject, hon, and two coordinated verbs:

• tände
• gav

So the structure is:

• Under strömavbrottet tände hon två stearinljus
• och gav mig en ficklampa

This is like English:

• During the power outage, she lit two candles and gave me a flashlight.

You do not need to repeat hon unless you want a different structure or special emphasis.

It is an en word:

• en ficklampa = a flashlight
• ficklampan = the flashlight
• ficklampor = flashlights
• ficklamporna = the flashlights

So gav mig en ficklampa uses the correct article.

It is a compound noun:

• ficka = pocket
• lampa = lamp

So ficklampa literally means pocket lamp, which is the normal Swedish word for flashlight/torch.

Yes, but it changes the meaning slightly.

• Under strömavbrottet = during the power outage / during that specific outage
• Under ett strömavbrott = during a power outage / during any power outage

So the original sentence points to a particular event, while ett strömavbrott would sound more general or less specific.