Breakdown of Vi läste tidningen på tåget.
vi
we
tidningen
the newspaper
läsa
to read
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
Questions & Answers about Vi läste tidningen på tåget.
Why is the past tense of läsa spelled läste with a 't' instead of a 'd'?
Läsa (to read) belongs to verb Group 2b. If the stem of a Group 2 verb ends in a voiceless consonant (a sound like p, t, k, s, or x), the past tense ending is -te instead of -de. Since the stem is läs- (ending in 's'), it becomes läste.
In English, the past and present tense of 'read' look exactly the same. How can I tell which one this is in Swedish?
In Swedish, they are clearly different! The present tense is läser (read / are reading) and the past tense is läste (read in the past). You never have to guess from context.
Why do we use på for the train instead of i (in)?
Swedish often matches English when it comes to transportation. You use på (on) for large public transport vehicles where you can stand up and walk around, like på tåget (on the train) or på bussen (on the bus). You use i (in) for smaller vehicles where you must sit down, like i bilen (in the car).
What makes tåget mean 'the train' instead of just 'a train'?
The word for 'a train' is an 'ett' word: ett tåg. To make an 'ett' word mean 'the', you attach -et to the end of it. So tåg becomes tåget (the train).