Breakdown of Han skänkte inte bort den röda cykeln.
han
he
röd
red
inte
not
cykeln
the bicycle
den
the (with en-words)
skänka bort
to give away
Questions & Answers about Han skänkte inte bort den röda cykeln.
Why is inte placed between skänkte and bort?
Skänkte bort (gave away) is a particle verb. In a Swedish main clause, the verb (skänkte) takes the second position, followed immediately by negative words like inte. The verb's particle (bort) is placed after that. The pattern is always: Verb + inte + Particle.
Which word gets the stress when saying skänkte bort?
In Swedish particle verbs, the stress always falls heavily on the particle. You should emphasize bort, not the verb, so it sounds like skänkte BORT.
Could I say gav bort instead of skänkte bort?
Yes, gav bort (past tense of ge bort) means gave away and is very common. Skänkte bort is just a bit more specific; it highlights that the bicycle was donated, gifted, or given away to a good cause.
Why is it den röda cykeln instead of just den röda cykel?
This is the classic Swedish double definite rule. When you describe a specific noun using an adjective, you need three things: the separate definite article (den), the definite adjective ending (röda), and the noun's own definite suffix at the end (cykeln).
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