Breakdown of Det gamla huset blev nedklottrat och vi hade inga pengar.
vi
we
och
and
huset
the house
ha
to have
gammal
old
pengarna
the money
det
the (with ett-words)
bli
to become
inga
no (plural)
nedklottrad
graffitied
Questions & Answers about Det gamla huset blev nedklottrat och vi hade inga pengar.
Why is it Det gamla huset and not just Gamla huset or Det gamla hus?
Swedish uses a pattern called double definiteness when an adjective describes a specific noun. You need the standalone definite article Det, the definite form of the adjective gamla, and the definite form of the noun huset.
How does the passive voice work in blev nedklottrat?
This sentence uses the verb bli (here in the past tense, blev) plus a past participle. This so-called bli-passive focuses on the action or the change of state, meaning the house got covered in graffiti.
Why does nedklottrat end in a -t?
In Swedish, past participles act like adjectives and must agree with the noun they describe. Because hus is an ett-word, the participle takes the neuter -t ending. The base verb is nedklottra.
Could I say inte några pengar instead of inga pengar?
Yes, inga (no) means the same thing as inte några (not any). Using inga is very common and often sounds more natural in a simple main clause like this one.
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