Breakdown of Lägg locket till burken i lådan.
i
in
till
for (to go with)
lådan
the box
burken
the can
lägga
to lay, to put down
locket
the lid
Questions & Answers about Lägg locket till burken i lådan.
Why is it locket till burken instead of burkens lock?
While burkens lock is grammatically correct, Swedish frequently uses till to describe two things that form a functional pair, like a lid for a jar (locket till burken) or a key for a door (nyckeln till dörren). It emphasizes the relationship of one thing belonging to or fitting the other.
Why do both "lid" and "jar" have the definite ending (locket, burken)?
A strict rule when using this [noun] till [noun] pattern for possession is that both nouns must be in their definite forms. So you use locket (the lid) and burken (the jar). If you used the s-genitive instead, the possessed noun would drop its definite ending: burkens lock.
Could I use sätt or ställ instead of lägg for "put" here?
No, Swedish uses different verbs for "put" depending on the shape of the object and how it rests. You use lägga (and its command form lägg) when placing something flat or horizontally. Since a lid is a flat object, it is "laid" in the drawer. You would use ställ for placing things upright (like a bottle) and sätt for attaching things or seating someone.
Why does the sentence start with Lägg instead of Lägger?
Lägg is the imperative form, which is used for commands or giving direct instructions ("Put!"). For many Swedish verbs, including lägga (to put/lay), you form the imperative by simply dropping the final -a from the infinitive form.
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