Questions & Answers about Många möss bor bakom muren i dalen.
What is the singular form of möss and how does this plural work?
The singular is en mus (a mouse). This is an irregular plural that uses a vowel change, called an omljud. The vowel changes from u to ö, and the s doubles to keep the vowel sound short, giving us möss.
Why do we use bor here instead of lever to say they live?
In Swedish, bor means to live in the sense of residing or having a home somewhere, which fits these mice living behind a wall. Lever means to live in the sense of being biologically alive or existing.
Why are muren and dalen written with an -en at the end?
In Swedish, the definite article (the equivalent of the English word the) is attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word before it. The base words are en mur (a wall) and en dal (a valley), so adding -en makes them muren (the wall) and dalen (the valley).
Does bakom have any relation to the word bak?
Yes, bakom is the standard preposition for behind a physical object. It comes from the root bak, which means back or rear, combined with om to create the full preposition.