Breakdown of Det finns några tidningar under det där skrivbordet.
tidningen
the newspaper
några
some / any (plural)
det finns
there is, there are
det där
that (ett)
skrivbordet
the desk
under
under
Questions & Answers about Det finns några tidningar under det där skrivbordet.
How do you use the preposition under? Does it change depending on the word after it?
The preposition under means 'under' or 'below', and just like in English, it never changes its form. Prepositions like under, över, and bakom stay exactly the same no matter if the noun is an en-word, an ett-word, singular, or plural.
Why does the noun have an -et at the end in det där skrivbordet?
In Swedish, when you use a demonstrative like det där (that) or den här (this), the noun that follows must be in its definite (the) form. Since ett skrivbord is an ett-word, it becomes skrivbordet. This rule is often called the double definite, and it feels a bit like saying 'that the desk' in English.
Why is it några tidningar and not någon tidningar?
The word for 'some' changes to match the noun it describes. You use någon for singular en-words and något for singular ett-words. Because tidningar (newspapers) is plural, you must use the plural form några.
Why does the sentence start with Det finns instead of translating 'There are' word-for-word?
Det finns is the most common way to say 'There is' or 'There are' in Swedish when stating that something exists. Even though it literally translates to 'It finds itself', it is the standard phrase here. You generally shouldn't use där är, which is mostly used when physically pointing out a location.
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