Breakdown of Ingen besvarade mejlet. Däremot begärde kunden ett nytt möte.
ett
a, an (neuter)
mötet
the meeting
ny
new
ingen
no, none (en-word)
kunden
the customer
mejlet
the email
däremot
on the other hand
begära
to request
besvara
to reply to
Questions & Answers about Ingen besvarade mejlet. Däremot begärde kunden ett nytt möte.
How does the prefix be- change the grammar of besvarade compared to just using svarade?
The prefix be- often makes an intransitive verb transitive, meaning it can take a direct object without needing a preposition. Normally, you have to use a preposition with svara, like in the phrase svara på ett mejl. By adding be-, it becomes besvarade mejlet, connecting directly to the object.
Begärde also has a be- prefix. What base verb does it come from?
While it does use the be- prefix, its root is tied to obsolete Swedish words for desiring or making. Unlike besvara, where you can clearly see the modern base verb svara, begära (to request or demand) acts as a fixed, inseparable word in modern Swedish. You just have to learn it as a whole unit.
Why is the subject kunden placed after the verb begärde in the second sentence?
If I wanted to use men (but) instead of däremot (however), would the word order stay the same?
No, the word order would change. Men is a coordinating conjunction, which acts as a bridge between clauses and does not take up the first position in the new clause. If you used men, the subject would take the first position: ... men kunden begärde ett nytt möte.
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