Breakdown of Stjälkarna växer snabbt och växtligheten finns nu överallt.
och
and
snabb
fast
nu
now
växa
to grow
överallt
everywhere
finnas
to exist, to be there
stjälken
the stem
växtligheten
the vegetation
Questions & Answers about Stjälkarna växer snabbt och växtligheten finns nu överallt.
Why is överallt placed after nu?
In Swedish, when a clause has both a time expression like nu (now) and a place expression like the spatial adverb överallt (everywhere), the time almost always comes first. This follows the standard Time-Manner-Place rule for adverbs at the end of a sentence.
The English translation says the vegetation "is" everywhere. Why use finns instead of är?
While är means "is", Swedish strongly prefers the verb finns (literally "is found") when describing the existence or availability of something in a location. Saying växtligheten är nu överallt sounds like a direct, slightly clunky translation from English, whereas finns sounds completely natural.
How does the word växtligheten break down?
It is built from the root växt (a plant, or the act of growing), combined with the suffix -lighet to form the abstract noun växtlighet (vegetation). Finally, the -en at the end makes it definite (the vegetation). You can see the family resemblance to the verb växer (grows) earlier in the sentence!
I always forget how to pronounce words starting with stj-. How does stjälkarna start?
The letter combination stj- is one of the traditional spellings for the Swedish sje-sound, which often sounds similar to an English "sh" or a soft whistle depending on the regional accent. You might remember this spelling from common words like stjärna (star) or stjäla (to steal).
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