Breakdown of Han borde ha vaxat lacken igår.
han
he
ha
to have
igår
yesterday
böra
should, ought to
lacken
the paintwork
vaxa
to wax
Questions & Answers about Han borde ha vaxat lacken igår.
How would we rewrite this sentence in the passive voice to practice the difference between bli and vara?
To describe the action of the paintwork getting waxed, use the dynamic passive with bli: Lacken borde ha blivit vaxad igår (The paintwork should have been waxed yesterday). If you used the stative passive with vara (Lacken borde ha varit vaxad), it would mean the paintwork should have already been in a finished, waxed state, which clashes slightly with the specific action marker igår.
Why do we use borde ha vaxat here instead of skulle ha vaxat?
Borde ha vaxat specifically means "should have waxed", expressing an unfulfilled obligation or a missed good idea. Skulle ha vaxat means "would have waxed" or "was supposed to wax". In Swedish, just like in English, using the past tense modal borde followed by ha and the supine expresses regret or advice about the past.
Is lacken the usual word for paint in Swedish?
It is the specific word for lacquer, varnish, or the glossy paintwork on a vehicle or polished wood. If you were talking about standard house paint or the color itself, you would use the word färgen instead.
Why does vaxat end in a -t in this active sentence?
It is in the supine form because it follows the auxiliary verb ha. For Group 1 verbs like vaxa, the supine is always formed by adding a -t to the infinitive, resulting in vaxat. This is different from the past participle, which acts like an adjective and changes its ending based on the noun's gender and number (for example, lacken är vaxad).
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