Erik måste följa med till biblioteket om han vill studera.

Erik

Breakdown of Erik måste följa med till biblioteket om han vill studera.

• vilja: to want
• måste: must
• till: to
• biblioteket: the library
• studera: to study
• om: if
• följa med: to come along
• han: he

Questions & Answers about Erik måste följa med till biblioteket om han vill studera.

Why does the sentence use måste instead of other modal verbs, like ska or kan?

Måste means must or have to, indicating a necessity or obligation. In this sentence, Erik must do something if he wants to get the desired outcome (studying at the library). Ska would imply a future plan, whereas kan would signify possibility or ability.

What does följa med literally mean, and why is it used here?

Följa med literally translates to “follow along” or “accompany.” In this context, it emphasizes that Erik needs to go along with someone (or join someone) to the library, rather than just going by himself.

How do I distinguish between using om and när when forming conditional clauses like “if he wants to study”?

Om means if in a conditional sense, indicating that something will only happen if the condition is met. När means when, implying that something is certain to happen at a known or expected time. Here, “om han vill studera” figures as a condition (he might or might not want to study).

Is the word order important in the part om han vill studera, and could it be written in another way?

Yes, Swedish word order is quite structured. “Om han vill studera” follows the typical pattern of conjunction + subject + verb + remainder. You could potentially say “Om han studera vill,” but it would sound awkward or archaic. Native Swedish speakers typically keep the verb right after the subject in dependent clauses.