Breakdown of Jag dricker kaffe och sedan läser jag en bok.
jag
I
och
and
dricka
to drink
kaffet
the coffee
läsa
to read
en
a
boken
the book
sedan
then
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Questions & Answers about Jag dricker kaffe och sedan läser jag en bok.
What does dricker mean, and how is it used in this sentence?
Dricker is the present tense form of the verb dricka, meaning “to drink.” In this sentence, it agrees with jag (“I”), so dricker translates as “I drink.”
Why is there no article before kaffe while bok is preceded by en?
Kaffe is treated as an uncountable noun referring to the substance in general, so it does not require an article. In contrast, bok is a countable noun, and using en signals the indefinite article (“a book”).
What does sedan mean, and what role does it play in this sentence?
Sedan means “then” and functions as a temporal adverb that indicates the sequence of actions. It shows that after drinking coffee, the speaker proceeds to read a book.
Why is the subject jag repeated in the second clause instead of being omitted?
In Swedish, while it is sometimes possible to drop the subject in coordinated clauses when the context is clear, repeating jag here adds clarity by explicitly showing who performs both actions. It emphasizes that the same subject carries out each action.
Why does the second clause have the order sedan läser jag en bok instead of the English-like order “I read a book”?
In Swedish, when an adverb like sedan occupies the first position in a clause, the V2 (verb-second) rule moves the finite verb immediately after it. Hence, läser comes right after sedan, followed by jag, which is why the clause is ordered as sedan läser jag en bok.
What is the function of the conjunction och in this sentence?
Och means “and” and is used to connect the two main clauses: one describing the action of drinking coffee and the other describing the action of reading a book.
Is the sentence considered compound, and what does that imply about its structure?
Yes, the sentence is compound. It consists of two independent clauses linked by och, with sedan further clarifying the temporal relationship between the two actions.
Are both verbs, dricker and läser, conjugated appropriately for the subject jag?
Yes, both verbs are in the present tense form appropriate for the subject jag. Swedish uses the same present-tense form for the first-person singular, so dricker and läser correctly match jag in each clause.