Question 1

Why is därifrån used instead of från där for "from there"?

Accepted Answer

In Swedish, you usually combine location words like där (there) or här (here) with -ifrån (from) to create a single compound adverb. While an English speaker might want to literally translate "from there" as från där, this sounds unnatural in Swedish. You should use därifrån instead.

Question 2

Is därifrån always written as one word?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it must be written as a single word. When you add the -ifrån suffix to spatial words (creating words like därifrån, härifrån, uppifrån, or utifrån), they always form one compound word, never two.

Question 3

Why does the second part of the sentence say betraktade vi instead of vi betraktade?

Accepted Answer

This is a great example of the Swedish V2 (verb-second) rule! The entire first clause (När vi stod på berget) acts as the first block of information in the sentence. Because the verb must come in the second position, the main clause verb (betraktade) comes right after the comma, pushing the subject (vi) to the third position.

Question 4

Could I use tittade på or såg instead of betraktade here?

Accepted Answer

You could, but betraktade (observed / watched carefully) gives a slightly different feeling. While tittade på just means "looked at," betraktade implies taking your time to carefully or thoughtfully study the valley. It's a great vocabulary word to use when you want to sound more descriptive!

När vi stod på berget betraktade vi dalen därifrån.

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