Breakdown of Vi har problem med knäna, båda två.
vi
we
ha
to have
problemet
the problem
två
two
med
with
båda
both (pronoun, e.g. both of them)
knät
the knee
Questions & Answers about Vi har problem med knäna, båda två.
Why is båda två placed at the very end of the sentence?
Placing båda två at the end is a common way to clarify or emphasize who vi (we) refers to. It translates closely to "We have problems with our knees, the both of us." You could also put it earlier, like Vi båda har problem..., but tagging it on at the end is very natural in spoken Swedish.
What is the difference between båda and båda två in this sentence?
In this context, they mean exactly the same thing. Adding två (two) to båda (both) just makes it sound a little bit more casual and adds a slight emphasis. You can usually use them interchangeably when referring to people or things.
The English translation says "our knees", but the Swedish sentence uses knäna (the knees). Where is the word for "our"?
In Swedish, when it is obvious whose body part you are talking about, you use the definite form (the knees) instead of a possessive word like våra (our). Since the sentence starts with vi (we), it is already clear whose knees are hurting!
What is the singular form of knäna?
The base word is ett knä (a knee). The plural is knän (knees), and the definite plural ("the knees"), which we see in this sentence, is knäna.
Since both of them have problems, why isn't the word problem pluralized?
It actually is plural here! The word problem is an ett-word that ends in a consonant (ett problem). In Swedish, these types of words do not change their spelling in the indefinite plural. So, one problem is ett problem, and multiple problems are just problem.
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