Breakdown of Det gamla formatet föredrar jag faktiskt.
jag
I
gammal
old
det
the (with ett-words)
faktiskt
actually (as a matter of fact, in fact)
föredra
to prefer
formatet
the format
Questions & Answers about Det gamla formatet föredrar jag faktiskt.
Why is the object Det gamla formatet at the start of the sentence instead of jag?
In Swedish, you can move the object to the front of the sentence to emphasize it. Here, the speaker is stressing that it is the old format they prefer, likely contrasting it with a new one. Because of the V2 rule, the verb föredrar must stay in the second position, so the subject jag is pushed to immediately after the verb.
Why are there two markers for 'the' in Det gamla formatet?
This is the Swedish double definite rule. Whenever a definite noun is described by an adjective, you must use both a freestanding front article (Det, since format is an ett-word) and the definite suffix attached to the noun itself (-et).
Why does the adjective gamla end in -a? Shouldn't it be gammalt since format is an ett-word?
Because the noun phrase is definite (Det ... formatet), the adjective must take its definite form. For almost all Swedish adjectives, the definite form simply ends in -a, regardless of gender or number. You would only use the neuter form gammalt if it were indefinite, such as ett gammalt format (an old format).
Why does the adverb faktiskt come at the very end of the sentence?
faktiskt (actually) is a sentence adverb. In a typical main clause starting with a subject, these adverbs go right after the verb. However, because the emphasized object is at the front of this sentence and pushes the subject to the spot right after the verb, the adverb faktiskt slides down to follow the subject jag.
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