Question 1

Why is på used here for "of the bag" instead of an -s genitive like väskans rem?

Accepted Answer

In Swedish, inanimate part-whole possession—where a physical part is attached to a larger object—is typically expressed with på. We say remmen på väskan (the strap on/of the bag) just like we say taket på huset (the roof of the house). The -s genitive is mostly reserved for people, animals, countries, or organizations.

Question 2

Why does the sentence use i morse for "this morning" instead of a phrase containing morgon?

Accepted Answer

i morse is a fixed time expression specifically used to mean "this past morning." Because the cobbler already sewed the strap (sydde is in the past tense), you must use i morse. If the action were happening tomorrow morning, you would use i morgon bitti.

Question 3

Why is there a double 'm' in remmen?

Accepted Answer

The base word is rem (strap), which has a short 'e' vowel sound. To keep that vowel sound short when adding the definite suffix -en, Swedish spelling rules require doubling the final consonant. If it were spelled remen, the 'e' would be pronounced as a long vowel.

Question 4

The word for cobbler is skomakare. Why is the definite form skomakaren and not skomakareen?

Accepted Answer

For en-words that end in -are (which are usually professions or agents performing an action, like lärare or arbetare), you only add an -n to make them definite singular. Adding the full -en suffix would create an awkward double 'e' sound.

Skomakaren sydde remmen på väskan i morse.

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