Questions & Answers about Vi använde kameran mycket i projektet.
How do we get the past tense form använde from the infinitive?
The infinitive is att använda (to use). The stem is använd. This is a Group 2a verb, which means we usually add -de to the stem to make the past tense (preteritum).
If the stem is använd and we add -de, shouldn't it be spelled 'användde' with two d's?
Good catch! In Swedish spelling, when a verb stem already ends in -d and you add a -de ending, one of the d's is dropped. So använd plus -de becomes använde, not 'användde'.
Why is 'the camera' written as kameran? Shouldn't an en-word get an -en ending?
Yes, but kamera already ends in a vowel. When an en-word ends in a vowel, you just add -n instead of the full -en to make it definite (meaning 'the'). So it becomes kameran, not 'kameraen'.
Why does mycket (a lot) come after kameran? Can I say 'Vi använde mycket kameran'?
You shouldn't say it that way. In a basic Swedish sentence, the direct object (kameran) needs to come right after the verb (använde). Adverbs like mycket that tell us how much an action was done usually come after the object.