Breakdown of Tidsfristen för förhandlingen var i måndags.
vara
to be
för
for, to
måndag
Monday
i
last (in past time expressions)
tidsfristen
the deadline
förhandlingen
the negotiation
Questions & Answers about Tidsfristen för förhandlingen var i måndags.
How does i måndags translate to 'last Monday'?
In Swedish, you create a past-tense time expression for days of the week by adding the preposition i before the day and an -s to the end of it. So, i måndags specifically means the most recent Monday that has already passed. It always pairs with a past-tense verb, like var (was) in this sentence.
Would I use i måndags if I wanted to say the deadline is next Monday?
No, the i...-s pattern is strictly for the past. If you wanted to say the deadline is on the upcoming Monday, you would drop the -s and use the preposition på instead (på måndag), along with a present or future tense verb.
Why is there an 's' in the middle of the word tidsfristen?
Tidsfristen (the deadline) is a compound word made from tid (time) and frist (grace period or deadline). The -s- in the middle is a linking letter that glues the two nouns together, which is a very common pattern when building Swedish compound words.
Why do we use the preposition för here instead of till?
While both can translate to 'for' in English, för is used here because it points to what the deadline applies to (an event or process like förhandlingen). Till is usually reserved for giving something to a person, expressing possession, or indicating a physical destination.
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