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- Topic: Swedish >
- "Vem frågade du?"
15 Comments
That was exactly what I was going to ask--and exactly what I thought the answer would be......Cool!
Any chance you could explain why the use of du/dig changes the meaning? I'm a bit lost! Thanks
du is a subject, an actor. dig is an object in the sentence, one who is acted upon. We have this distinction in English between I/me, he/him, she/her and they/them but not for you/you or it/it
From what i've found out; please do correct me if i've put misleading info.
- Vem (subject) frågade (verb) dig (objective pronoun), meaning who asked you (you as the object of the action).
- Vem (direct object) frågade (verb) du (subject), meaning that you asked someone that the third party does not know who it is and wants to find out.
279
It changes if "you" is object or subject, and hence the one doing the asking, or being the recipient of the asking.
In English as well as non-question Swedish the word order also changes, but you can still see the same form change (he/him) in e.g. "he asked Tom" vs "Tom asked him" in English.
Du is when you is the "subject" ie you are the one doing something. Dig is when you is the object, when something is being done to you. English has lost this distinction which used to be thou/thee but it is retained in who/whom
Not sure if thou/thee works the same as du/dig. Note too, Swedish doesn't appear to have a special word for whom.
- 784
Context would dictate but in (at least american) english "who asked you" would tend to be an aggressive way to say shutup or mind your own business. Does the same hold in swedish, or would vem frågar dig always be seen as the question who was it that asked you.
