Questions & Answers about Gps:en visar att vi är någonstans i skogen.
Why do we use någonstans here instead of någonvart?
We use någonstans because it refers to a static location, which matches the verb är (are). The word någonvart implies motion towards a destination. If the sentence said we were driving somewhere, you could use någonvart to show direction. Keep in mind that in casual Swedish, you will often hear någonstans used for both location and direction, but någonvart is strictly for direction.
Why is there a colon in the word Gps:en?
In Swedish, you use a colon to attach a grammatical ending to an initialism (a word pronounced letter by letter). Since GPS takes an en-word suffix, it becomes Gps:en in the definite form. You will see this same punctuation pattern in words like tv:n and cd:n.
Why does the sentence use the definite form i skogen instead of the indefinite i skog?
Swedish naturally uses the definite form for general landscapes and environments, even when referring to the concept of the outdoors rather than one specific mapped forest. You will see this same pattern in common phrases like på stranden (at the beach) or i bergen (in the mountains).
If the GPS showed that we are NOT somewhere in the forest, where would the word inte go?