Starting with a Time Word

What you will learn

You can start a sentence with a time word and put the verb second.

Two ways to say the same thing

Both sentences mean the same. The second one starts with the time, which is very common in Swedish. In chapter 1 every statement started with the subject. Now the time can come first.

Time, verb, subject

In a Swedish statement, the verb is the second part. A time phrase such as på morgonen or klockan sju counts as one part, even when it has two words. So when the time comes first, the verb comes next, and the subject comes right after the verb.

The time moves to the front, and the subject moves to just after the verb. The other words keep their order.

Först and sedan

Först means first, and sedan means then or after that. They work like time words, so the verb comes next. In everyday Swedish, sedan is often said and written sen.

Inte after the subject

When the subject comes after the verb, inte comes right after the subject. In chapter 1, inte came right after the verb, because the subject was first.

With a name as the subject, you may also see inte before the name. In this course, put inte after the subject.

Statements only

This lesson is about statements. Questions keep the order from chapter 1, as in Vad gör du? and Jobbar du i dag?

Common mistakes