Questions & Answers about Jag behöver den där byrån.
Why do we use den där instead of det där here?
We use den där because byrå (chest of drawers) is an en-word. If you were pointing at an ett-word instead, like ett skåp (a cupboard), you would use det där and say det där skåpet.
Why does the sentence use byrån (the chest of drawers) instead of just byrå?
In Swedish, pointing words like den där (that) or den här (this) require the noun to also be in its definite form. Even though we just say "that chest of drawers" in English, in Swedish you literally say "that there the chest of drawers" (den där byrån).
Why is the definite form byrån and not byråen?
For en-words that already end in a vowel, like byrå, you usually just add an -n to make them definite, rather than adding the full -en.
I've seen byrå used to mean an agency or office. Is this the same word?
Yes! En byrå can mean an agency (like en resebyrå for a travel agency) or it can be a piece of furniture, like a dresser or chest of drawers. The context usually makes it clear which one you need.
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