Word
Han leser i stedet for å se på TV.
Meaning
He reads instead of watching TV.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about Han leser i stedet for å se på TV.
How does the expression i stedet for work grammatically here?
i stedet for is a fixed prepositional expression meaning “instead of.” It can be followed by:
- a noun/pronoun: i stedet for kaffe
- an infinitive: i stedet for å se på TV
If what follows is a full finite clause, use i stedet for at
- clause: i stedet for at han ser på TV.
Why is å used before se?
å is the infinitive marker. After i stedet for (when a verb follows), you use å + infinitive: i stedet for å se. Don’t drop å in writing.
Why is it se på TV and not just se TV or se?
- se på means “watch/look at,” which matches “watch TV.” Hence se på TV.
- se TV is also common and widely understood, but many teachers and style guides prefer se på TV.
- Bare se means “see” (perceive), not “watch.”
Can I move i stedet for å se på TV to the front of the sentence?