Word
Är de tvättbara kuddarna utbytbara?
Meaning
Are the washable pillows replaceable?
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Är de tvättbara kuddarna utbytbara?
vara
to be
kudden
the pillow
de
the (plural, before adjective)
tvättbar
washable
Questions & Answers about Är de tvättbara kuddarna utbytbara?
How does the -bar suffix work in tvättbara?
The suffix -bar means 'able to be' or '-able' in English. It attaches directly to verb stems. Here, it attaches to the stem of tvätta (to wash) to make tvättbar (washable). The -a is then added because it is describing a plural noun.
The verb for 'to replace' is byta ut. Why does it flip around to become utbytbara?
When you turn a phrasal verb (a verb with a particle, like byta ut) into an adjective using a suffix like -bar, the particle usually moves to the front and merges with the verb stem. So, ut + byt + -bar creates the base adjective utbytbar.
Why does utbytbara get an -a at the end even though it comes at the very end of the sentence?
In Swedish, adjectives must agree with the noun they describe even when they follow a verb like 'is' or 'are' (this is called a predicative adjective). Since the subject kuddarna is plural, utbytbar must take the plural ending -a.
Why do we need the word de if kuddarna already has the definite ending meaning 'the pillows'?