Breakdown of Han brukar gå i den andra riktningen.
han
he
i
in
gå
to go, to walk
annan
other / another (en-word)
den
the (with en-words)
bruka
to usually do
riktningen
the direction
Questions & Answers about Han brukar gå i den andra riktningen.
Why is it andra here instead of annan?
Even though riktning is an en-word (which usually takes annan for "another"), we are saying "the other direction" (definite). In Swedish, the word for "other" becomes andra whenever it is used in a definite phrase, such as after den, det, or de, as well as in the plural.
Why do we need both den and the -en ending on riktningen?
This is the Swedish "double definiteness" rule. When you have an adjective or a determiner like andra describing a definite noun, you must use the freestanding article (den), the definite form of the adjective (andra), AND the definite suffix on the noun itself (-en in riktningen).
Why is "usually walks" translated as brukar gå instead of using an adverb?
In Swedish, "usually" or "to be in the habit of" is most commonly expressed with the verb brukar. Since brukar acts like an auxiliary (helper) verb here, it is followed directly by the infinitive form of the main verb, which is gå.
Why use the preposition i (in) instead of mot (towards)?
Both can be understood, but i den andra riktningen focuses on the path or line of movement ("in the other direction"), matching the English phrasing. If you used mot, it would mean "towards the other direction", which changes the nuance slightly.
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