Jag letar efter min telefon.

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Breakdown of Jag letar efter min telefon.

• telefonen: the phone
• leta efter: to look for

Questions & Answers about Jag letar efter min telefon.

Why is the possessive adjective min used in this sentence instead of mitt or mina?

Min is the correct possessive adjective for singular common-gender (or "en") nouns. Since telefon is an en-word, min telefon means “my phone.” In contrast, mitt is used for neuter nouns (words that take “ett”), and mina is used for plural nouns.

How is the verb letar related to the infinitive leta, and why is it conjugated with an r at the end?

Letar is the present tense form of the verb leta, which means “to look” or “to search.” In Swedish, many verbs form their present tense by adding an r to the infinitive stem. Therefore, jag letar translates to “I am looking.”

What role does the preposition efter play in this sentence?

The preposition efter translates to “for” in this context. When combined with letar, the phrase letar efter means “to look for” or “to search for.” It is essential for completing the meaning by indicating what is being looked for—in this case, min telefon (my phone).

Could the verb söker be used instead of letar efter in this sentence, and if so, what differences might there be?