Breakdown of Jag vill köpa den där lampan.
jag
I
köpa
to buy
vilja
to want to
den där
that (en)
lampan
the lamp
Questions & Answers about Jag vill köpa den där lampan.
Why do we use den där here instead of det där?
We use den där because lampa is an en-word. If the noun were an ett-word, like bord (table), you would use det där instead. Together, den där translates to "that" when pointing out a specific object at a distance.
Why is it lampan and not just lampa after den där?
In Swedish, when you use den där (that) or den här (this), the noun that follows must be in its definite form. So you are literally saying "that there the-lamp" (den där lampan). This rule is often called double definiteness and is a core part of Swedish grammar!
Why isn't there an att (to) before köpa since the English translation is "want to buy"?
In Swedish, vill acts as a modal (helping) verb and is followed directly by the infinitive form of the main verb without att. You can compare it to English helping verbs where you say "I must buy" or "I can buy" rather than using "to".
Wait, doesn't vill mean "will" for the future tense?
No, they look similar, but vill is a false friend! In Swedish, vill always means "want" or "want to". If you want to express the future tense like the English "will", you need to use words like ska or kommer att instead.
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