Vi har köpt det där skåpet.

Breakdown of Vi har köpt det där skåpet.

vi
we
köpa
to buy
ha
to have
det där
that (ett)
skåpet
the cabinet

Questions & Answers about Vi har köpt det där skåpet.

Why do we use det där instead of den där here?
The word for cabinet, ett skåp, is an ett-word. The demonstrative "that" has to match the gender of the noun it points to, so we must use the ett form: det där.
Why is it skåpet (the cabinet) and not just skåp (cabinet)?
This is a strict and very important rule in Swedish: when you use den där, det där, or de där (that/those), the noun that follows must always be in the definite form. So, you are literally saying "that there the cabinet".
What does the där actually add to the sentence? Couldn't we just say det skåpet?
Där literally means "there". While English just says "that cabinet", everyday Swedish pairs det (that) with där (there) to physically point to something at a distance. If you just say det skåpet, it sounds very formal or like written Swedish; adding där makes it sound natural when speaking.
I know the verb for "buy" is köper. Why does it end in a -t here (köpt)?
The sentence is in the present perfect tense, meaning "have bought" (har köpt). Whenever you use har (have), the following verb changes into a special form called the supine. For regular verbs like köpa (to buy), you drop the -a and add a -t to make köpt.

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