Word
De skulle gå på picknicken, men de stannade hemma på grund av ovädret.
Meaning
They were going to go to the picnic, but they stayed home because of the bad weather.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of De skulle gå på picknicken, men de stannade hemma på grund av ovädret.
de
they
gå
to go, to walk
stanna
to stay
hemma
at home
Questions & Answers about De skulle gå på picknicken, men de stannade hemma på grund av ovädret.
I thought skulle meant "should". Why does it translate to "were going to" here?
While skulle is often used to mean "should", it is actually the past tense of ska (will / are going to). In this sentence, it is used for the "future in the past". Using skulle plus the infinitive verb gå expresses an intention they had in the past: they "were going to go", but those plans changed.
Why do we use på in gå på picknicken? Shouldn't it be till for "to"?
In Swedish, you generally use gå på when talking about attending an event, activity, or gathering (like a picnic, a party, or a concert). You use till when referring to physical destinations or specific places, like a building or a city.
A quick refresher: why is it stannade hemma instead of stannade hem?
It is all about location versus movement. You use hem when there is motion toward the home, like going home. Because the verb here is stannade (stayed), which indicates a stationary location with no movement, you must use hemma (at home).
How do you use the phrase på grund av? Can I just use eftersom instead?