What you will learn
You can compare then and now, and choose the present or the past from the time word.
Kenji then and now
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| För fem år sedan bodde Kenji i Japan. | Five years ago Kenji lived in Japan. |
| Då talade han inte svenska. | At that time he did not speak Swedish. |
| Förut cyklade han till jobbet. | He used to cycle to work. |
| Nu åker han buss. | Now he goes by bus. |
| Förut åt han aldrig fisk. | Before, he never ate fish. |
| Nu tycker han om fisk, och han tränar varje vecka. | Now he likes fish, and he exercises every week. |
Förut means before, at an earlier time. Då means then, at that time. It points back to a time that the text has just named, as in Då talade han inte svenska. Nu means now. Hej då keeps its own meaning, bye.
Present or past
The time word shows which form to use. Use the present for what is true now and for what someone often does, with words such as nu, i dag, ofta and varje vecka. Use the past for what happened at a time that has passed, with words such as förut, då, i går and för fem år sedan.
A short profile often moves from then to now. It can start with Förut or För fem år sedan, and then go on with Nu.
Common mistakes
| Not like this | Like this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Förut cyklar Kenji till jobbet. | Förut cyklade Kenji till jobbet. | Förut points to the past, so use the past form. |
| Nu jobbade hon på kaféet. | Nu jobbar hon på kaféet. | Nu is about now, so use the present form. |
| Förut Kenji drack te. | Förut drack Kenji te. | The verb comes second, right after förut. |