Breakdown of Du behöver inte köpa vattentäta kängor.
du
you (singular)
inte
not
köpa
to buy
behöva
to need
vattentät
waterproof
kängan
the boot (lace-up or ankle boot)
Questions & Answers about Du behöver inte köpa vattentäta kängor.
Since this lesson is about using the definite form for clothing, why is kängor indefinite here?
The rule where Swedish uses the definite form instead of a possessive (like saying "the boots" instead of "my boots") only applies when referring to clothes someone is currently wearing or putting on. Since this sentence is about buying general, unspecified boots, we just use the indefinite plural kängor.
How does the word vattentäta translate to "waterproof"?
It is a compound word made of vatten (water) and tät (tight, dense, or sealed). Added together, vattentät means waterproof. It gets an -a at the end here because it is describing a plural noun (kängor).
Why does inte come between the two verbs (behöver and köpa)?
In a standard Swedish main clause, the negation inte always comes right after the first, conjugated verb. Here, that verb is behöver. The second verb, the infinitive köpa, must wait until after inte.
Are kängor the same as rubber rain boots?
No, rubber rain boots are usually called stövlar or gummistövlar. The word kängor typically refers to sturdy lace-up boots, such as hiking boots or winter boots.
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