Breakdown of Han återvände till samma stad dit han flyttade för tio år sedan.
han
he
staden
the city
till
to (direction, destination)
året
the year
tio
ten
flytta
to move
för ... sedan
ago (in 'för ... sedan')
samma
same
återvända
to return (go back)
dit
to where (relative)
Questions & Answers about Han återvände till samma stad dit han flyttade för tio år sedan.
Why does this sentence use dit instead of där for 'where'?
In English we use 'where' for both location and destination. In Swedish, because the verb flyttade (moved) describes motion towards a place, you must use the relative adverb dit (to where) instead of där (where / in a fixed location).
Why is the noun after samma in its indefinite form (stad instead of staden)?
The word samma (same) already makes the noun definite in meaning. In Swedish, samma is an exception to the usual definite rules and must be followed by a noun in its bare, indefinite form. You will always say samma stad and never samma staden.
How does the phrase för tio år sedan translate to 'ten years ago'?
To express 'ago' in Swedish, you use the two-part phrase för [amount of time] sedan. It works like a frame around the time duration, so 'ten years ago' literally translates as 'for ten years since' (för tio år sedan).
Can I use kom tillbaka instead of återvände?
Yes, kom tillbaka is a very common and slightly more conversational way to say 'came back' or 'returned'. Återvände is a bit more formal or literary, but both mean the exact same thing and both use the preposition till when naming the destination.
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