Breakdown of Det där undantaget kan inte vara förbjudet.
vara
to be
inte
not
kunna
to be able to, can
det där
that (ett)
undantaget
the exception
förbjuden
forbidden
Questions & Answers about Det där undantaget kan inte vara förbjudet.
Why does inte come between kan and vara?
This is the standard word order for main clauses with auxiliary verbs. The first verb, kan, takes the second position in the sentence (the V2 rule). The negation inte comes directly after it. The second verb, vara, stays in its infinitive form and is placed after the negation.
Why is it det där undantaget instead of just det där undantag?
In Swedish, when you use den här/där or det här/där (this/that), the noun that follows must be in its definite form. Since ett undantag is an ett-word, its definite form is undantaget. You are essentially saying 'that there the exception'.
Why does förbjudet end in a -t rather than being förbjuden?
The word förbjudet (forbidden) describes the subject of the sentence, undantaget (the exception). Since ett undantag is an ett-word, the describing word must match it by taking the neuter -t ending.
What if I wanted to say 'This exception' instead of 'That exception'?
You would simply change det där to det här. The rest of the phrase still requires the definite noun, so it becomes det här undantaget.
Learn Det där undantaget kan inte vara förbjudet and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free