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Vi har beslutat att ta semester i juli.

Vi har beslutat att ta semester i juli.
We have decided to take a vacation in July.
FromLesson 5inHardcore Swedish
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Breakdown of Vi har beslutat att ta semester i juli.

ha
to have
i
in
vi
we
ta
to take
besluta
to decide
semestern
the vacation
juli
July
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Questions & Answers about Vi har beslutat att ta semester i juli.

Why does the sentence use har beslutat instead of the past tense beslutade?

In Swedish you have two primary past tenses:

  1. The present perfect (har + supine) – Vi har beslutat (“we have decided”) emphasizes that the decision is still relevant now.
  2. The simple past (preterite) – Vi beslutade (“we decided”) simply reports a past event.
    Here, har beslutat uses the supine beslutat with har to form the present perfect.
What is the role of att before ta semester?

att is the infinitive marker in Swedish. Whenever you attach another verb or verb phrase (like ta semester, “take vacation”) to a finite verb, you usually introduce it with att:
– Vi har beslutat att ta semester i juli.

Why is there no article before semester (e.g., en semester)?
In Swedish, semester (“vacation/holiday”) is typically uncountable when referring to time off. You do not say en semester here; you simply say ta semester to mean “take time off.”
What does ta semester literally mean, and can I say ha semester?

– ta semester literally means “take vacation,” focusing on the act of starting your holiday.
– ha semester (“have vacation”) is also correct and common, but it emphasizes possessing or enjoying time off rather than the action of taking it.

Why do we say i juli instead of just juli?

Swedish normally requires the preposition i with months:
– i juli = “in July.”
You might omit i in headlines or very informal lists (e.g. “Juli 2024”), but in full sentences you use i.

Can i juli be moved to the front of the sentence? What happens to word order?

Yes. Swedish follows the V2 (verb‐second) rule: if you start with an adverbial like i juli, the finite verb must come next:
– I juli har vi beslutat att ta semester.
Here har remains in second position.

Is it possible to drop att in informal speech, saying “Vi har beslutat ta semester i juli”?

Yes. In colloquial Swedish, speakers often omit att before verb phrases:
– Vi har beslutat ta semester i juli.
This is fine in relaxed conversation, though textbooks will still teach the full form with att.

Are there other verbs meaning “decide” I could use instead of besluta?

Yes. A common alternative is bestämma sig:
– Vi bestämde oss för att ta semester i juli.
Here you use the preterite bestämde with the reflexive oss and the preposition för before the infinitive.