Questions & Answers about Vi fick höra ett ljud någonstans ifrån.
Why is it någonstans ifrån instead of just från någonstans?
In Swedish, when expressing origin (from somewhere), you use the location adverb någonstans combined with the particle ifrån. It is often written as two words (någonstans ifrån) or compounded into one (någonstansifrån). While you might hear från någonstans in casual speech, the standard and most natural way to express this spatial origin is någonstans ifrån.
If någonstans ifrån means from somewhere, how would I express direction, like moving to somewhere?
To express direction towards an unspecified place, you use någonvart. For example, We are going somewhere would be Vi är på väg någonvart. While native speakers sometimes use någonstans for direction too, någonvart strictly means moving towards a place, contrasting with the origin meaning of någonstans ifrån.
Why use fick höra instead of just the past tense hörde?
Using fick (the past tense of få) before an infinitive like höra adds a specific nuance. It translates closely to got to hear, happened to hear, or caught the sound of. It emphasizes that the event was sudden, accidental, or out of their control, whereas just hörde is a simple statement of fact.
Could I move någonstans ifrån to the beginning of the sentence for emphasis?