Breakdown of Boken är skriven på engelska.
vara
to be
boken
the book
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
engelska
English
skriven
written
Questions & Answers about Boken är skriven på engelska.
Why does the word for written end in -en here: skriven?
Because past participles act like adjectives when used with är (is). They have to match the noun they describe. Since boken is a singular en-word, the participle takes the en-word ending -en. If we were talking about an ett-word like brevet (the letter), it would be skrivet.
I learned that 'written' is skrivit. Why are we using skriven?
Skrivit is the supine form, which you use after har (have) or hade (had) to say someone has written something. In this sentence, we are describing the book's current state using är (is). When used this way, we must use the past participle form skriven, which works like an adjective rather than an action verb.
Could I use the passive voice and say Boken skrivs på engelska instead?
That would change the meaning. Boken skrivs means the book is currently being written. Using är skriven focuses on the finished result: the book is already complete and its text exists in English.
Why use the preposition på for 'in' English instead of i?
In Swedish, you always use the preposition på when talking about something being written, spoken, read, or sung in a specific language.
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