Word
Vems fel är stöket på vandrarhemmet?
Meaning
Whose fault is the mess at the hostel?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Vems fel är stöket på vandrarhemmet?
vara
to be
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
felet
the mistake
vems
whose (question word)
Questions & Answers about Vems fel är stöket på vandrarhemmet?
Why is fel in the indefinite form after vems?
Just like in English, the genitive word vems (whose) takes the place of an article. After any genitive expression in Swedish, the noun that belongs to it must be in the indefinite form. That is why it is vems fel, never vems felet.
How does the V2 (verb second) rule apply to the beginning of this sentence?
In Swedish question-word questions, the verb must be in the second position. The entire phrase Vems fel counts as a single block of information that takes up the first position. Therefore, the verb är correctly takes the second position right after it.
What kind of word is stöket?
It is the definite form of the noun ett stök (a mess). You will also frequently hear the related verb att stöka (to make a mess) or the phrasal verb att stöka till (to mess up) in everyday Swedish conversations.
Why do we use the preposition på before vandrarhemmet?
The preposition på is typically used for public places, institutions, and businesses, such as a hostel, hospital, or cinema. It focuses on the function or activity of the place, matching how we say at the hostel in English.
How is the compound word built?