Breakdown of De unga vill inte vittna.
inte
not
vilja
to want to
de
the (plural, before adjective)
ung
young
Questions & Answers about De unga vill inte vittna.
How does de unga work as a noun here without a word for "people"?
In Swedish, you can often drop the noun when talking about a specific group of people and just use the adjective. Ung is the adjective for "young". By adding the plural -a ending and the standalone definite article de (the), de unga becomes a noun phrase meaning "the young ones" or "the young people".
Why is there no att before vittna, since the English translation is "want to testify"?
Vill ("want to") is a modal verb. Just like in English with "can" or "must", Swedish modal verbs are followed directly by the infinitive form of the next verb without using att ("to").
Are the verb vittna and the noun for a "witness" related?
Yes! Ett vittne is the noun for "a witness", and vittna is the verb form meaning "to testify" or "to bear witness".
Why is inte placed after vill?
In a standard Swedish main clause, the first verb must be in the second position. Because the subject De unga takes up the first position, the verb vill must come second. Sentence adverbs like inte then follow immediately after that first verb.