Hon sover nu.

now

Breakdown of Hon sover nu.

• hon: she
• sova: to sleep

Questions & Answers about Hon sover nu.

What does the hon mean in this sentence?

Hon is the Swedish subject pronoun for she. It’s used to refer to a female person or animal, much like she in English.

How is the verb sover used here, and why doesn’t it change with different subjects?

Sover is the present tense form of the verb sova (to sleep). In Swedish, present tense verbs typically do not vary by person or number. This means that whether the subject is I, you, he, or she, the form remains the same—in this case, sover.

What role does the adverb nu play in the sentence?

Nu means now and acts as a time adverb. It tells us that the action is taking place at the present moment. In Swedish, it’s common for such adverbs to follow the verb in a simple declarative sentence.

How does the structure of “Hon sover nu” compare to a similar English sentence?

The sentence “Hon sover nu” follows a subject-verb-adverb order, which is quite similar to English. For example, “She is sleeping now” has a similar flow. However, note that while English might sometimes require the progressive form (“is sleeping”) to indicate an ongoing action, Swedish uses the simple present (sover) to convey that same meaning.

Why does Swedish use the simple present tense to describe actions occurring at this moment?