Language/Swedish/Grammar/Negation

Swedish Grammar - Negation

Hi Swedish learners! 😊

In this lesson, we will explore the basics of negation in Swedish. We will learn how to negate nouns, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and more. Negation is an important aspect of any language, and mastering it is crucial for effective communication.

Negation of Nouns

In Swedish, to negate a noun, we simply add "inte" after the noun. For example:

Swedish	Pronunciation	English
bok	/bu:k/	book
Jag har inte en bok.	/jag här inte en bu:k/	I do not have a book.

Negation of Adjectives

To negate an adjective in Swedish, we add "inte" after the adjective. For example:

Swedish	Pronunciation	English
glad	/glɑ:d/	happy
Du är inte glad.	/du är inte glɑ:d/	You are not happy.

Negation of Adverbs

In Swedish, to negate an adverb, we add "inte" before the adverb. For example:

Swedish	Pronunciation	English
snabbt	/snɑb: t/	quickly
Hon springer inte snabbt.	/hon sprín: er inte snɑb: t/	She does not run quickly.

Negation of Pronouns

In Swedish, to negate a pronoun, simply add "inte" after the pronoun. For example:

Swedish	Pronunciation	English
jag	/jɑ:g/	I
Jag känner dig inte.	/jag kɛner dig inte/	I do not know you.

Negation of Verbs

The negation of verbs is a little bit more complicated in Swedish. We use "inte" after the verb, and we also need to include the auxiliary verb. The auxiliary verb is "att" (to) in Swedish.

For example:

Swedish	Pronunciation	English
prata	/prɑ:ta/	to speak
Jag pratar inte svenska.	/jag prátar inte svénska/	I do not speak Swedish.

In the above example, "inte" comes after the verb "pratar" and "att" (to) is included before the verb.

Negation of Compound Verbs

To negate compound verbs, we follow the same rule as the negation of verbs. For example:

Swedish	Pronunciation	English
har studerat	/har studerat/	have studied
Jag har inte studerat idag.	/jag har inte studerat ida:g/	I have not studied today.

In the above example, "inte" comes after "har" and "att."

Common Expressions of Negation

Here are some common expressions using negation:

• Jag vet inte. (I do not know.)
• Hon kan inte simma. (She cannot swim.)
• Det är inte mitt problem. (It is not my problem.)

Practice Dialogue

To see negation in action, here is an example dialogue:

• Person 1: Har du en bil? (Do you have a car?)
• Person 2: Nej, jag har inte en bil. (No, I do not have a car.)

Further Study

For more information about negation in Swedish, refer to the Swedish Grammar page on Wikipedia. To improve your Swedish Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Swedish Grammar

Related Lessons

• Location
• How to Talk About the Weather
• Conditional Mood
• Past Tense
• Be Polite
• Questions
• How to Use Be
• Definite Articles in Swedish
• Personal pronouns
• When use Ett or En