Breakdown of Både Anna och Erik måste mäta bordet.
och
and
bordet
the table
måste
to have to, must
Anna
Anna
Erik
Erik
både
both
mäta
to measure
Questions & Answers about Både Anna och Erik måste mäta bordet.
What does the combination både ... och mean?
It translates exactly to "both ... and". You will often see these two words paired together to emphasize that a statement applies to two subjects, like både Anna och Erik (both Anna and Erik).
Why is mäta (measure) in its infinitive form without att (to) in front of it?
Because it comes directly after måste (must). Måste is a modal verb (a helper verb that expresses necessity), and in Swedish, these are followed by the infinitive form of the next verb without using att.
Why doesn't the verb måste end in "-r" if it is in the present tense?
Måste is a slightly unusual verb in Swedish. It belongs to a small group of verbs that do not take the typical "-r" ending in the present tense. It is the correct present-tense form for both "must" and "have to".
How does the word bordet show us that "table" is an "ett" word?
In Swedish, you attach the definite article (the "the" part) to the end of the noun. Because the suffix added to bord is -et, it tells you that the base word is an "ett" word (ett bord).
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