Breakdown of De pratar både svenska och engelska på kontoret.
de
they
prata
to speak
svenska
Swedish
och
and
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
kontoret
the office
både
both
engelska
English
Questions & Answers about De pratar både svenska och engelska på kontoret.
How does "både ... och" work in this sentence?
Både means "both" and och means "and". They pair up exactly like "both ... and" does in English to link two similar things. Here, they link the two languages being spoken: både svenska och engelska (both Swedish and English).
Why are the languages "svenska" and "engelska" not capitalized?
In Swedish, languages, nationalities, and days of the week are written with lowercase letters unless they are the very first word in a sentence. That is why it is written as svenska, not Svenska.
Why do we use "på" for "at the office"? Can I use "i"?
You should use på. In Swedish, the preposition på is commonly used with workplaces, public places, and activities. Saying i kontoret would sound strangely specific, as if you are emphasizing being physically trapped inside the walls of the room, rather than just being at work.
Why is there an "-et" at the end of "kontoret"?
That is the definite ending, which gives us the word "the". Because "office" is an ett-word (ett kontor), you add -et to the end of the noun to make it "the office" (kontoret).
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