Breakdown of De ställde in alla aktiviteter före debatten om kapitalismen.
de
they
om
about
ställa in
to cancel
all
all (singular en-words)
debatten
the debate
före
before (preposition, + noun or time)
kapitalismen
the capitalism
aktiviteten
the activity
Questions & Answers about De ställde in alla aktiviteter före debatten om kapitalismen.
Why is the plural of aktivitet formed as aktiviteter?
Words ending in the international suffix -itet (like aktivitet, kvalitet, and identitet) are reliably en-words. When making them plural, they belong to the declension group that adds -er, giving us aktiviteter.
Why does kapitalismen have the definite suffix -en here when we just say "capitalism" in English?
In Swedish, abstract concepts (like capitalism, nature, and society) often take the definite form when discussed generally. Additionally, as per this lesson's rule, loanwords ending in the suffix -ism are predictably en-words, so they always take the -en ending in the definite singular.
Does ställde in literally mean "put in" here?
No, ställa in is a very common phrasal verb meaning "to cancel". While ställa on its own means "to put" or "to place" (usually upright), combining it with the particle in changes the meaning entirely. Remember that the particle (in) gets the stress when spoken.
Could I use innan instead of före in this sentence?
Strictly speaking, före is a preposition used before a noun phrase (like debatten here), while innan is a conjunction used before a full clause containing a verb (like innan debatten började). In everyday spoken Swedish, many people use innan for both, but före remains the most correct choice before a standalone noun.
Learn De ställde in alla aktiviteter före debatten om kapitalismen 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