Breakdown of Var sover det sjätte barnet?
barnet
the child
var
where
sova
to sleep
det
the (with ett-words)
sjätte
sixth
Questions & Answers about Var sover det sjätte barnet?
Why use Var instead of Vart here?
In Swedish, var is used for a stationary location (where someone or something is), while vart is used for a destination (where someone is going). Since the child is sleeping in one place, we use var.
Why does the verb sover come before the subject?
Swedish uses the V2 (verb-second) rule. In questions starting with a question word like var, the verb must come right after it, taking the second position in the sentence.
Why do we use det and also add -et to the end of barn?
Swedish uses a double definite structure when a specific noun is described by an adjective. The word det acts as a standalone article, and the ending -et on barnet is the usual definite ending for an ett word. You must use both to say the sixth child.
How does the number six become sjätte (sixth)?
The base number is sex (six). To make it an ordinal number (sixth), Swedish changes the spelling and adds an ending to make sjätte. It is an irregular form that you just have to memorize.
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