Breakdown of Igår använde jag datorn till rapporten.
jag
I
igår
yesterday
till
for (to go with)
datorn
the computer
Questions & Answers about Igår använde jag datorn till rapporten.
If Group 2a verbs add -de in the past tense, why is it spelled använde instead of användde?
The stem of använda (to use) is använd-. While Group 2a verbs do take a -de suffix in the past tense, Swedish spelling rules dictate that you don't write a double 'd' after another consonant (like the 'n' in använd). Therefore, the extra 'd' is dropped, making it använde.
Why does the verb come before the subject in "använde jag"?
This is the Swedish V2 rule in action! The verb must be the second block of information in a main clause. Because the sentence starts with the time word Igår (yesterday), the verb använde must come next, pushing the subject jag into the third spot.
Why is "for the report" translated using till instead of för?
When you are talking about the purpose of an object or what it is being applied to, Swedish prefers till. The preposition för is more commonly used when you are doing a favor on behalf of someone else.
Why is the definite form of computer "datorn" and not "datoren"?
The word dator is an en-word, but because it ends in an unstressed -or, it follows a slight exception. Adding a full -en would sound clunky, so it drops the 'e' and simply takes an -n to become datorn (the computer).