Breakdown of Du måste berätta för någon annan.
du
you (singular)
måste
to have to, must
någon
someone / any (en-word)
annan
other / another (en-word)
berätta
to tell
för
for, to
Questions & Answers about Du måste berätta för någon annan.
Why do we use någon here instead of något or några?
Någon means someone or anyone. We use it here because we are talking about an unknown person, and people are treated as en-words. Något would mean something, and några is the plural form meaning some or a few.
How do you say someone else in Swedish?
You use the phrase någon annan. The word annan means other or else. Because någon acts as an en-word, annan stays in its base form. If you were talking about something else (using the ett-word något), the adjective would change to match it: något annat.
Why is there a för after berätta?
In Swedish, the verb berätta (to tell) usually requires the preposition för when you are mentioning the person receiving the information. So, berätta för någon literally translates to tell for someone, but it simply means tell someone in English.
Why does berätta end in -a instead of the present tense -ar?
Berätta is in the infinitive form because it comes right after the modal verb måste (must). Just like in English where you say must tell instead of must tells, Swedish drops the present tense -r after verbs like must, can, or will.
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