Breakdown of Jag berättade för skomakaren att klacken på stöveln var trasig.
jag
I
vara
to be
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
berätta
to tell
för
for, to
stöveln
the boot
trasig
broken
att
that
skomakaren
the cobbler
klacken
the heel (of a shoe)
Questions & Answers about Jag berättade för skomakaren att klacken på stöveln var trasig.
Why do we use på in klacken på stöveln instead of translating 'of' directly?
In Swedish, inanimate possession—specifically when one physical thing is an attached part of a larger whole—often uses the preposition på. A heel is a physical part of a boot, just like taket på huset (the roof of the house) or däcket på bilen (the tire of the car). Notice that both the part (klacken) and the whole (stöveln) take the definite form.
Why is there a för after berättade? Can I just say 'Jag berättade skomakaren'?
No, the verb berätta (to tell or relate a story/information) requires the preposition för before the person you are speaking to. You always berättar något för någon (tell something to someone). This is a common trap for English speakers because English just uses 'told the cobbler' without a preposition.
Why is the definite form stöveln and not stövelen?
The noun stövel ends in the unstressed suffix -el. When adding the definite ending to words ending in -el, -en, and -er, the e in the suffix drops out to make pronunciation smoother. Therefore, en stövel becomes stöveln.
Could I use bruten instead of trasig for 'broken' here?
No, bruten is generally reserved for solid things that have physically snapped or fractured in two, like a bone (ett brutet ben) or a stick. Trasig is the go-to word for items that are torn, shattered, out of order, or simply damaged and in need of repair, which perfectly fits a ruined shoe heel.
Learn Jag berättade för skomakaren att klacken på stöveln var trasig and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free