Breakdown of Chefen var tvungen att stoppa ett hundratal arga fyndjägare.
ett
a, an (neuter)
arg
angry
chefen
the boss
vara tvungen att
to have to
stoppa
to stop (something); to put, stuff
fyndjägaren
the bargain hunter
hundratalet
the group of around a hundred
Questions & Answers about Chefen var tvungen att stoppa ett hundratal arga fyndjägare.
What exactly does the suffix -tal add to hundra in this sentence?
It turns the exact number into an approximation. While ett hundra means exactly one hundred, ett hundratal means 'around a hundred' or 'a hundred or so'. It functions as a singular neuter noun, which is why it takes the article ett.
If ett hundratal is a singular noun, why is the adjective arga in the plural form?
The adjective describes the people (fyndjägare), not the numerical noun (ett hundratal). Because fyndjägare is plural, the adjective must also be plural (arga). This mixed agreement is the standard syntax when using -tal words with the things they quantify.
Is fyndjägare plural here? It looks exactly like the singular form.
Yes, it is plural. Nouns ending in -are (like jägare, meaning hunter) look the same in the indefinite singular and indefinite plural. You can tell it is plural here because of the plural adjective arga and the context of there being a hundred of them.
Why does the sentence use var tvungen att instead of måste for 'had to'?
The verb måste is exactly the same in both the present and past tense. Because this can cause ambiguity, Swedes very often prefer to use var tvungen att (literally 'was forced to') to make it completely clear that they are talking about a past obligation.
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