Understanding Swedish Word Order in Subordinate Clauses
In Swedish, just like in English, we have main clauses and subordinate clauses. A subordinate clause is a part of a sentence that cannot stand alone and usually starts with a word like 'that', 'because', or 'if' in English. In Swedish, these words can be 'att', 'eftersom', or 'om'. The word order in these clauses is a bit different from the main clauses.
This might sound tricky, but it's just like a puzzle where the pieces have to fit in a certain way. Let's break it down step by step.
Important Points
- Subordinate clauses often start with words like 'att' (that), 'eftersom' (because), or 'om' (if).
- The subject comes right after the subordinate conjunction.
- The verb comes after the subject, not before like in main clauses.
- Other parts of the sentence, like objects or adverbs, come after the verb.
Let's look at some examples to make it clearer.
Examples
- Jag vet att han äter äpplet.
- Hon sa eftersom det regnade.
- Vi frågar om du kommer.
In each example, notice how the verb (like 'äter', 'regnade', 'kommer') comes after the subject (like 'han', 'det', 'du').
Practice makes perfect! Try creating your own sentences using these rules, and soon it will feel like second nature.