Breakdown of Vems är stöket på vandrarhemmet?
vara
to be
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
vems
whose (question word)
stöket
the mess
vandrarhemmet
the hostel
Questions & Answers about Vems är stöket på vandrarhemmet?
Why is stöket in the definite form when words after vems are usually indefinite?
When vems (whose) is directly attached to a noun, that noun must be indefinite, like in vems stök är det? (whose mess is it?). But in this sentence, vems stands alone and is separated from the noun by the verb är. When this happens, you use the definite form because you are pointing to a specific mess: Whose is the mess?
What is the breakdown of the word vandrarhemmet?
It is a compound of vandrare (wanderer or hiker) and hem (home), which translates to hostel. Because hem is an ett-word, the whole compound is an ett-word, giving it the definite ending -et. Notice it gets an extra m at the end (-met) to keep the vowel sound short.
Why use the preposition på here instead of i (in) or vid (at)?
For temporary accommodations and many public buildings like a hotel (hotell), a restaurant (restaurang), or a hostel (vandrarhem), Swedish conventionally uses the preposition på to mean at or in.
Is stök just any kind of dirt or mess?
It specifically means clutter or untidiness, often the result of people bustling about. It is related to the verb att stöka, which means to bustle around or make a mess. It is an ett-word, which is why the definite form is stöket.
Learn Vems är stöket på vandrarhemmet 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