Breakdown of Lämna extranyckeln under mattan så länge du är hemma.
vara
to be
du
you (singular)
hemma
at home
mattan
the rug
lämna
to leave
under
under
så länge
as long as
extranyckeln
the spare key
Questions & Answers about Lämna extranyckeln under mattan så länge du är hemma.
Could I add som after så länge in this sentence?
Yes. så länge som and så länge mean exactly the same thing. In modern Swedish, especially in spoken language, the som is frequently dropped, which is why it is just så länge here.
Is så länge acting as a condition or a timeframe here?
It acts as both! Just like "as long as" in English, så länge can mean "while" (a timeframe) or "provided that" (a condition). In this sentence, it implies both the duration of you being at home and the condition that you are actually there.
Why is it hemma instead of just hem?
You use hemma when describing a static location (being at home), which pairs perfectly with the verb är (are). You would only use hem when there is motion toward the destination, such as gå hem (go home).
Why is the definite article attached to the very end of extranyckeln?
When creating compound nouns in Swedish, only the final word in the compound takes the definite suffix. You combine extra and nyckel to make the core noun, and then add the definite -n to the very end to mean "the spare key".
Is Lämna an infinitive form being used as a command here?
Lämna is an imperative (a command). For Group 1 verbs in Swedish, the imperative form happens to be identical to the infinitive, which is why it ends in an -a. The sentence starts directly with this verb to issue the instruction.
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