Breakdown of De flesta människor vet inte var malmen finns, och därtill är den svår att hitta.
vara
to be
den
it (common)
och
and
hitta
to find
inte
not
var
where
veta
to know (facts, information)
att
to
svår
difficult
människan
the human
finnas
to exist, to be there
de flesta
most (countable)
därtill
moreover
malmen
the ore
Questions & Answers about De flesta människor vet inte var malmen finns, och därtill är den svår att hitta.
Why is the word order är den (verb-subject) in the second part of the sentence instead of den är?
Could I use dessutom instead of därtill here?
Yes, dessutom and därtill are interchangeable additive connectors meaning 'moreover' or 'besides'. However, därtill is slightly more formal and often used in written Swedish, which fits perfectly in a factual sentence about natural resources.
Why is it människor (indefinite) and not människorna (definite) after De flesta?
The phrase de flesta (most) acts as a quantifier and is always followed by a noun in the indefinite plural form. This is a common exception to the usual rule where the word de triggers the definite form. You could also drop the noun entirely and just say De flesta vet inte... (Most do not know...).
Why use finns instead of är to say where the ore 'is'?
While är simply means 'is', Swedish strongly prefers the verb finns (exists / is located) when talking about the physical existence, availability, or geographical location of things like natural resources, buildings, or objects.
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