Questions & Answers about Kan du lära mig att dreja?
Why does the sentence start with Kan du?
Kan du literally means can you.
In Swedish, yes/no questions are usually formed by putting the verb first:
- Du kan lära mig att dreja. = You can teach me to throw pottery.
- Kan du lära mig att dreja? = Can you teach me to throw pottery?
So the first position goes to the verb kan, and that signals a question.
Is Kan du... really about ability, or is it also a request?
It can be both, just like English Can you... ?
Depending on context, Kan du lära mig att dreja? can mean:
- Are you able to teach me pottery throwing?
- Could you teach me pottery throwing?
In real conversation, it often works as a polite request, not just a question about ability.
What does lära mean here?