Breakdown of Du måste vakna tidigt för att jobba.
du
you
måste
must
vakna
to wake up
tidigt
early
att
to
jobba
to work
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Questions & Answers about Du måste vakna tidigt för att jobba.
Why do we use måste in this sentence?
Måste is a modal verb in Swedish that expresses necessity or obligation (similar to "must" or "have to" in English). It shows that waking up early is not optional but required.
Why is vakna used in this form?
Vakna is the infinitive form of the verb "to wake up." After a modal verb like måste, Swedish uses the infinitive without att, so it becomes måste vakna instead of måste att vakna.
Is tidigt an adverb here?
Yes, tidigt (meaning "early") is functioning as an adverb, describing when you must wake up. In Swedish, adverbs that describe time generally follow the verb or appear later in the sentence.
Why do we say för att jobba?
För att + infinitive in Swedish expresses purpose or reason, similar to "in order to" in English. So för att jobba means "in order to work."
Can we change the word order, for example, placing tidigt at the end?
Yes, you can say Du måste vakna för att jobba tidigt, but it slightly changes the emphasis. Placing tidigt right after vakna keeps the focus on when you have to wake up, whereas putting it after jobba can imply the work happens early. Both are grammatically correct.