Breakdown of Jag lägger ett par tjocka raggsockor i pjäxorna.
jag
I
ett
a, an (neuter)
i
in
tjock
thick
paret
the couple / the pair (of items)
lägga
to lay, to put down
pjäxan
the ski boot
raggsockan
the rag sock
Questions & Answers about Jag lägger ett par tjocka raggsockor i pjäxorna.
Why is the adjective tjocka in the plural form when the quantifier is the singular ett par?
Even though ett par (a pair) is a grammatically singular phrase, the adjective tjocka agrees with the plural noun it directly modifies: raggsockor. When you use ett par as a quantifier in Swedish, the adjectives and nouns that follow it remain in the plural.
Could I say ett par av tjocka raggsockor, translating the "of" from "a pair of"?
No, Swedish does not use a preposition like av after ett par. You place the quantifier directly before the noun phrase, much like saying "a dozen thick socks" in English.
Why do we use the verb lägger here instead of ställer or sätter to mean "put"?
Swedish requires you to choose a positional verb for "put" based on the object's shape and how it rests. Because socks are soft, shapeless, and lie flat, you must use lägger (to lay). You would use ställer for things that stand upright on a base, like the boots themselves.
Are raggsockor and pjäxor considered pluralia tantum (nouns that only exist in plural)?
Not strictly, because you can talk about a single raggsocka (one rag sock) or a single pjäxa (one ski boot). However, because they are almost always used, worn, and quantified in pairs, they function very similarly to true plural-only words in everyday conversation, frequently appearing right after ett par.
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