Breakdown of Pojkarna slogs på skolgården.
pojken
the boy
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
skolgården
the schoolyard
slåss
to fight (physically)
Questions & Answers about Pojkarna slogs på skolgården.
Why does the verb slogs end in an 's' here? Is it a passive verb?
No, it's not passive here. It comes from the verb slåss, which is a reciprocal s-verb meaning "to fight" (literally, "to hit each other"). While it is built from the root verb slå (to hit), the s-ending here gives it an active, mutual meaning between the boys. slogs is the past tense form.
Why is it spelled slogs with one 's' when the infinitive is slåss with two?
The infinitive slåss has a double 's' to indicate that the vowel sound is short. To form the past tense, you start with the normal past tense of slå, which is slog, and simply add an -s to make it reciprocal. Because the consonant g is already there, you only need a single s at the end.
What would the present tense of this sentence be?
The present tense is Pojkarna slåss på skolgården. Notice that because slåss is an s-verb, it doesn't take a regular present tense -r ending like most verbs do.
Why do we use the preposition på for "in the schoolyard" instead of i?
In Swedish, you generally use på (on) for open, outdoor surfaces or designated areas. Because a skolgård (schoolyard) is an open space, it takes på. You would use i for enclosed, three-dimensional spaces (for example, i skolan for "in the school" building).
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