Breakdown of De flesta handskrifter i arkivet är skrivna på engelska.
vara
to be
i
in
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
de
the (plural, before adjective)
Questions & Answers about De flesta handskrifter i arkivet är skrivna på engelska.
Why is it skrivna instead of skriven or skrivet?
Skrivna is the past participle of the Group 4 strong verb skriva (to write). When a past participle acts like an adjective, it must agree with the noun it describes. Since handskrifter (manuscripts) is plural, we use the plural ending -na for Group 4 verbs.
Why is handskrifter in the indefinite plural when it follows de flesta?
While the article de usually requires a noun to be in its definite form, the phrase de flesta (most) is a common exception. It is almost always followed by the indefinite plural form of the noun, which is why we say de flesta handskrifter instead of de flesta handskrifterna.
Why does the sentence use på to mean "in" for på engelska?
When talking about the language something is written, spoken, or expressed in, Swedish always uses the preposition på. So, "in English" translates to på engelska.
Is handskrifter a compound word?
Yes, it is made up of hand (hand) and skrifter (writings or texts). It is the direct equivalent of the English word "manuscripts" (which shares the exact same literal meaning from Latin).