Breakdown of Det jublas när paraden passerar.
när
when
det
there (dummy subject)
passera
to pass by
jubla
to cheer
paraden
the parade
Questions & Answers about Det jublas när paraden passerar.
Why is the phrase Det jublas used here instead of just saying that people are cheering?
Jublas is the s-passive form of the intransitive verb jubla (to cheer). In Swedish, you can use the passive voice with the impersonal dummy subject det to focus entirely on the action itself rather than who is performing it. It translates perfectly to the English structure: There is cheering.
How exactly is the passive form jublas constructed in this tense?
It is built from the present tense active verb. You take jublar (cheer), drop the final r, and add the passive s. This gives us jublas.
I thought the passive voice needed a direct object to become the subject. How can a verb like jubla be passive?
That rule applies to English, but Swedish is more flexible. Swedish allows intransitive verbs (verbs that cannot take a direct object) to be formatted in the s-passive. When this happens, the verb must be paired with the impersonal subject det. This creates a general statement about an activity taking place, similar to det dansas (there is dancing).
Could I use a real subject with the passive form, like saying Paraden jublas?
No, because jubla does not take a direct object. You cannot actively cheer a parade in a way that makes the parade the subject of a passive sentence. If you want a real subject, you must use the active voice, such as Folk jublar (People cheer).
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