Breakdown of Maskinen pumpar vattnet genom de underjordiska rören.
vattnet
the water
maskinen
the machine
de
the (plural, before adjective)
genom
through
Questions & Answers about Maskinen pumpar vattnet genom de underjordiska rören.
Why do we need both de and the -en ending on rören in de underjordiska rören?
This is Swedish's 'double definite' rule in action. When an adjective (underjordiska) modifies a definite noun, you need both the independent definite article (de for plural) and the definite suffix on the noun itself (-en). English just uses 'the' once, but Swedish marks it twice.
What kind of noun is rör (pipe), and why is the definite plural rören?
Rör is an ett-word that ends in a consonant (ett rör). In Swedish, these words don't change in the indefinite plural (one pipe = ett rör, two pipes = två rör). To make it definite plural ('the pipes'), you add the suffix -en, giving us rören.
Could I use the preposition via instead of genom for 'through' here?
You could, but genom is much more natural for this sentence. Genom emphasizes the physical movement through the three-dimensional space inside the pipes. Via tends to sound more abstract, focusing on a route, waypoint, or method (like traveling 'via Stockholm' or sending something 'via email').
How does the adjective underjordiska break down?