Breakdown of Staten har skrivit under det internationella fördraget.
ha
to have
det
the (with ett-words)
skriva under
to sign
staten
the state
internationell
international
fördraget
the treaty
Questions & Answers about Staten har skrivit under det internationella fördraget.
Why does the sentence use skrivit under instead of a single word for "signed"?
In Swedish, "to sign" is usually expressed with the phrasal verb (partikelverb) skriva under (literally "write under"). Just like in English, the stress falls on the particle (under). You might occasionally see the compound verb underskriva, but skriva under is much more common in everyday use.
Can the particle under be placed before the verb, like har under skrivit?
No, as a phrasal verb, the particle (under) must come after the conjugated verb (skrivit). They only fuse together into one word (underskriva or underskrivit) in very formal, legal contexts, or when turned into an adjective (like ett underskrivet fördrag - a signed treaty).
Why is it det internationella fördraget with both det and the -et ending?
This is a classic example of the Swedish "double definite". When a noun is in its definite form (fördraget - the treaty) and you add an adjective in front of it (internationella), you must also add the freestanding definite article (det). It literally acts like "the international the-treaty".
Why use fördraget here instead of a more common word for agreement, like avtalet?
Ett avtal is the standard word for an agreement or contract (like a lease or business deal). Ett fördrag, on the other hand, specifically means a "treaty"—a formal, legally binding agreement between countries or international organizations. Since the sentence talks about staten (the state) and something internationella, fördraget is the exact right word.
Learn Staten har skrivit under det internationella fördraget and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free