Breakdown of Vi väntade darrande på ambulansen i regnet.
vi
we
i
in
ambulansen
the ambulance
regnet
the rain
vänta på
to wait for
darra
to tremble
Questions & Answers about Vi väntade darrande på ambulansen i regnet.
How do we form the present participle darrande?
It comes from the verb darra (to tremble or shiver). To make a present participle in Swedish, you simply add -nde to the infinitive of the verb if it ends in -a. So, darra becomes darrande.
Does darrande need to change its ending because it refers to the plural vi (we)?
No, it doesn't. One of the great things about the Swedish present participle is that it never changes its form to match gender or number. Whether the subject is singular or plural, it stays darrande. Furthermore, in this sentence, it is acting as an adverb to describe exactly how the waiting happened.
Why do we use på in väntade på ambulansen instead of a direct translation for "for"?
In Swedish, the verb vänta (to wait) is almost always paired with the preposition på. Even though English says "wait for," trying to translate "for" directly (like using för) will sound wrong to a Swedish speaker. You must use the set phrase vänta på.
Why is darrande placed right after the verb instead of at the end of the sentence?
When a present participle is used as an adverb of manner (telling us how an action is performed), it typically belongs close to the verb it describes. Saying "Vi väntade på ambulansen i regnet darrande" would sound very clunky and unnatural in Swedish.
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