Breakdown of Tänk att ett tusental människor deltog i galenskapen!
ett
a, an (neuter)
i
in
människan
the human
delta
to participate
tänk att
imagine that
tusentalet
the group of around a thousand
galenskapen
the madness
Questions & Answers about Tänk att ett tusental människor deltog i galenskapen!
Why is it ett tusental människor instead of just tusen människor?
Adding the neuter suffix -tal to a number creates a collective noun meaning an approximate amount. While tusen means exactly one thousand, ett tusental means roughly a thousand or 'a thousand or so'.
How does the grammar work when combining ett tusental with människor?
Because ett tusental acts as a noun, learners often mistakenly try to insert a preposition like 'of' between it and the object it describes. However, Swedish places the quantity noun directly before the plural noun without a preposition, much like how you say en kopp kaffe (a cup of coffee) instead of 'a cup of coffee'.
Could I say tusentals människor instead in this sentence?
You could, but it changes the meaning. Tusentals (with the -s suffix) means 'thousands of' and implies a much larger, indefinite multiple of thousands. Ett tusental refers specifically to a single group of approximately one thousand. Also, you must drop the article ett if you use tusentals.
Does Tänk att literally mean 'Think that'?
Literally yes, but it functions as a fixed exclamation meaning 'Imagine that!' or 'Just think...'. It is a very common conversational phrase used to express surprise, disbelief, or amazement about a situation.
What is the infinitive form of deltog, and does it always use the preposition i?
The infinitive is delta (to participate), which is a compound of del (part) and ta (take) - literally 'to take part'. It is an irregular verb that becomes deltog in the past tense, and when you participate 'in' something, it is always followed by the preposition i.
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