Word
Några av jokrarna ligger kvar i lådan.
Meaning
Some of the jokers are still lying in the box.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Några av jokrarna ligger kvar i lådan.
i
in
några
some / any (plural)
lådan
the box
av
of, by / from (cause)
Questions & Answers about Några av jokrarna ligger kvar i lådan.
Why do we say Några av jokrarna instead of just Några jokrar?
Några jokrar simply means "some jokers" in an undefined sense. By adding av (of) and making the noun definite (jokrarna), we create a partitive construction meaning "some of THE jokers." This shows we are taking a quantity out of a specific, previously known group of cards.
Could I say Några av jokrar without the definite ending on the noun?
No, in Swedish partitive constructions like this (quantity + av + noun), the noun must always be in the definite form. Because you are taking a portion from a specific, defined whole, it has to be jokrarna (the jokers), not the indefinite jokrar.
Why use ligger kvar instead of just saying they "are" in the box?
Swedish strongly prefers positional verbs like ligger (lies), står (stands), or sitter (sits) over the generic verb är (is/are) to describe where physical things are located. Cards resting in a box are lying down, so we use ligger. Adding the particle kvar gives the phrase the meaning of "remaining" or "still there".
What happens to the spelling of en joker when it becomes jokrarna?