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Lägenheten har varken hiss eller balkong.

Lägenheten har varken hiss eller balkong.
The apartment has neither an elevator nor a balcony.
From Lesson 79:Either and neither (antingen ... eller, varken ... eller)·Swedish

Questions & Answers about Lägenheten har varken hiss eller balkong.

Why does the sentence use eller instead of a specific word for "nor"?
In Swedish, the phrase for "neither ... nor" is varken ... eller. Even though eller usually translates to "or" on its own, pairing it with varken makes the entire phrase mean "neither ... nor".
Do I need to include inte (not) in this sentence?
No, you shouldn't use inte here. The word varken (neither) already makes the sentence negative. Adding inte would create an incorrect double negative.
Why does the Swedish sentence say hiss and balkong instead of en hiss and en balkong?
In Swedish, the words for "a" or "an" (en or ett) are often dropped when talking about general features, categories, or professions. Because we are talking about a standard building feature rather than a specific elevator, Swedish simply says it lacks hiss.
What makes lägenheten mean "the apartment" rather than just "apartment"?
The basic word for apartment is lägenhet, which is an en-word. To make it definite (meaning "the" instead of "an"), Swedish attaches the article to the end of the noun. Adding the suffix -en gives you lägenheten.

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