Questions & Answers about Familjen går hem.
Why does the verb går just end in -r instead of -ar or -er?
Går comes from the short verb att gå (to walk or to go). Short verbs end in a vowel, so to make them present tense, you simply add an -r. You will see this pattern with other short verbs in this lesson.
Does går mean they are walking, or just traveling home in general?
In Swedish, går specifically means moving on foot. If the family were driving or taking a bus home, you would use a different verb for traveling, such as åker.
Why is the word for home hem here instead of hemma?
Hem is used for direction or movement towards your house, similar to 'homeward'. Hemma is used for location, when you are already resting 'at home'. Since the family is actively moving there, we use hem.
How do we know familjen means 'the family' and not just 'a family'?
The base word is en familj (a family). In Swedish, you make a noun definite by moving its article to the end of the word. Adding -en to the end gives you familjen (the family).
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