Breakdown of Ambulansen var redan där när vi räddade mannen.
vara
to be
vi
we
mannen
the man
där
there
när
when
redan
already
rädda
to save
ambulansen
the ambulance
Questions & Answers about Ambulansen var redan där när vi räddade mannen.
Why is the word order när vi räddade and not när räddade vi?
när is a subordinating conjunction for time, meaning it starts a sub-clause. In a Swedish sub-clause, the subject always comes right after the conjunction, followed by the verb. So it must be när vi räddade.
Could I use dit instead of där in this sentence?
No, because där is used for a fixed location (being in a place). dit is used for motion towards a place (going to a place). Since the ambulance was simply located at the scene (var), we use där.
Why does redan come after the verb var?
redan (already) is a sentence adverb. In a main clause like Ambulansen var redan där, the sentence adverb always goes immediately after the conjugated verb.
How do we form the past tense räddade?
The verb is rädda (to save), which is a regular Group 1 verb. Group 1 verbs always end in -a in their present tense and add -de to make the past tense, giving us räddade.
Why is it spelled mannen with a double 'n'?
The base word is man (man). To say the man, we add the definite suffix -en. We have to double the final 'n' to become mannen so that the 'a' remains a short vowel. If we didn't double it, the 'a' would sound long.
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