Breakdown of Vi måste ta reda på varifrån den har färdats.
vi
we
den
it (common)
ha
to have
måste
to have to, must
ta reda på
to find out
varifrån
from where
färdas
to travel (move, be in transit)
Questions & Answers about Vi måste ta reda på varifrån den har färdats.
Can I split varifrån and put ifrån at the end of the sentence, like we do in English?
Yes, in spoken or casual Swedish, you will often hear var den har färdats ifrån. However, keeping the compound word varifrån together at the beginning of the clause is more standard and is the preferred style in written Swedish.
Could I use hitta ut instead of ta reda på to mean 'find out'?
No, hitta ut literally means finding your way out of a physical place (like a building or a forest). When you want to 'find out' or discover information, you must use the fixed phrase ta reda på.
Why does the verb färdats end in an -s? Is it a passive verb?
It is not passive. Färdas (to travel or journey) is a deponent verb, which means it always ends in an -s but has an active meaning. In this sentence, it is in the supine form (färdats) because it follows har.
Is it grammatically correct for the preposition på to sit right next to the question word varifrån?
Yes, this is very common in Swedish. The entire clause varifrån den har färdats acts as the object of the preposition på. Swedish comfortably places a subordinate clause directly after a preposition without needing extra placeholder words.
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