Breakdown of Mannen föll blödande ner på golvet.
mannen
the man
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
golvet
the floor
ner
down (motion)
falla
to fall
blöda
to bleed
Questions & Answers about Mannen föll blödande ner på golvet.
Why does blödande end in -ande here, and would it change if it were multiple men falling?
Blödande is the present participle of the verb blöda (to bleed). In Swedish, present participles end in -ande (or -ende for some verbs) to create an '-ing' word. When used to describe how an action is happening, it acts as an adverb and never changes form, even if the subject is plural (männen föll blödande).
I don't recognize the word föll. What verb is this?
Föll is the past tense of falla (to fall). It is a strong, irregular verb that you will see often. Its main forms are falla (infinitive), faller (present), föll (past), and fallit (supine).
Why do we use ner instead of nere in this sentence?
Swedish distinguishes between motion towards a destination and being still in a location. Because the man is actively falling downwards onto the floor, we use the directional word ner. If he were already lying still down on the floor, you would use the location word nere.
Could you say i golvet instead of på golvet?
Yes, both are commonly used. På golvet simply describes the surface he lands on (onto the floor). I golvet is a common Swedish expression that feels a bit more sudden or forceful, like 'hitting the floor'.
Learn Mannen föll blödande ner på golvet 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