Breakdown of Bordet torkas kvart över två.
bordet
the table
två
two
över
over / past (in clock times)
kvarten
the quarter
torka
to wipe
Questions & Answers about Bordet torkas kvart över två.
How does kvart över två translate to 'a quarter past two' without the word 'a'?
In Swedish, you do not use an article before kvart when telling time. You simply say kvart (quarter) followed by över (past, literally 'over') and the hour två (two).
Why is there no Swedish word for 'at' before the time?
While you can put the word klockan (the clock) before the time to mean 'at', it is very common to just drop it in everyday Swedish. You can state the time phrase kvart över två directly without needing a direct translation for the English word 'at'.
Why does the verb torkas end in an -s?
That -s makes the verb passive! The active present tense verb is torkar (wipes). By replacing the -r with an -s, it becomes torkas (is wiped). This shows that the action is happening to the table, rather than the table doing the wiping itself.
How does the word bordet show us that 'table' is an ett-word?
The ending -et is the giveaway! The base word is ett bord (a table). To make it definite ('the table'), Swedish attaches that article to the end of the word, creating bordet.
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