Breakdown of Han såg över den andra spalten, men han kunde inte överse med det falska citatet.
han
he
inte
not
kunna
to be able to, can
men
but
det
the (with ett-words)
den
the (with en-words)
andra
second
falsk
false
se över
to review (look over, check)
citatet
the quote (quotation from text/speech)
spalten
the column
överse med
to overlook
Questions & Answers about Han såg över den andra spalten, men han kunde inte överse med det falska citatet.
Why does this sentence use såg över in the first half, but the combined word överse in the second half?
This highlights the exact difference between separated particle verbs and inseparable compound verbs! se över (here in the past tense: såg över) is a separated particle verb and carries a literal, physical meaning: to "look over" or review a text. överse is its inseparable compound twin, and it carries an abstract meaning: to "overlook" or excuse a mistake.
Why is the preposition med used after överse?
When the verb överse is used to mean "to overlook", "to tolerate", or "to turn a blind eye to", it always requires the preposition med. You cannot just say överse det falska citatet; you must say överse med det falska citatet (literally "oversee with the false quote").
Does andra mean "second" or "other" in den andra spalten?
It can mean either, and Swedish relies on context to tell them apart. Here, "the second column" and "the other column" essentially mean the same thing if there are only two columns. If it were plural (de andra spalterna), it would exclusively mean "the other columns".
Just as a quick refresher, why do we use the definite endings on spalten and citatet when there are already definite words (den and det) in front?
This is a classic example of Swedish "double definiteness." Whenever a noun is preceded by a standalone definite article (den, det, or de) and an adjective (andra, falska), the noun itself must also take its definite suffix (-en or -et). So it must be det falska citatet, never det falska citat.
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