Breakdown of Han slår hästskon rund mot städet.
han
he
rund
round
slå
to beat / to hit, strike (e.g. play a pass)
mot
towards, against
hästskon
the horseshoe
städet
the anvil
Questions & Answers about Han slår hästskon rund mot städet.
Why is rund in the base form here rather than the definite form, since hästskon is definite?
Here, rund acts as an object predicative. It describes the state of the object (hästskon) as a result of the action (slår). Predicative adjectives always use the indefinite form, even if the noun they describe is definite. Since hästsko is an en word, rund takes the basic indefinite en form.
Can I place the adjective before the object and say Han slår rund hästskon?
No, an object predicative must come after the direct object it modifies. The structure here is subject + verb + object + object predicative. Placing the adjective directly before the noun would incorrectly turn it into an attributive adjective, which would alter the meaning and require different grammar.
How do we know the gender of hästskon so that we can make rund agree with it?
In Swedish compound words, the final word determines the gender. The word is made of en häst (horse) and en sko (shoe). Because the final part is an en word, the entire compound is an en word, which is why we use the en form of rund.
Could I use på instead of mot for the preposition?
You could say på (on), but mot (against) is preferred here. It highlights the forceful impact and physical resistance of striking the metal against the surface of the anvil.
Learn Han slår hästskon rund mot städet and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free