Breakdown of Hur dags släppte de av dig på jobbet?
de
they
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
jobbet
the work
dig
you (singular)
Questions & Answers about Hur dags släppte de av dig på jobbet?
What is the exact difference between starting this question with hur dags instead of just när?
While när simply means "when" and could be answered with a general day or time period, hur dags specifically asks "at what time" (meaning the actual clock time). The speaker here wants to know the exact hour and minute you were dropped off, rather than just the day.
Why is the subject de wedged between släppte and av?
The phrase "to drop off" is a phrasal verb in Swedish: släppa av. Because this is a question starting with an interrogative phrase (hur dags), the verb släppte must take the second position, and the subject de must immediately follow it. This structural rule pushes the verb particle av to the spot right after the subject.
Could I use the verb lämna instead of släppa av to mean "drop off" here?
You could use lämna av or just lämna, but släppa av is the most natural and specific phrase for letting a passenger out of a vehicle. However, if you were asking about dropping off a package or an object instead of a person, you would have to use lämna rather than släppa av.
Why do we use the preposition på in på jobbet?