Learn Hardcore Swedish: Har du packat solkräm i din resväska? - Have you packed sunscreen in your suitcase?

Har plus the supine form packat creates the present perfect tense in Swedish. It corresponds to English “Have you packed…?” So Har du packat solkräm i din resväska? means “Have you packed sunscreen in your suitcase?”

Why use the present perfect here instead of simple past (like Packade du…)?

Swedish often prefers the present perfect (har + supine) when the result of a past action matters now—here, whether your sunscreen is already packed. The simple past (packade du) would simply state that the action took place, without that present relevance.

Why doesn’t packat need a particle like ner (as in packa ner)?

The verb packa on its own means “to pack.” Adding ner (packa ner) emphasises putting items down into something, but it’s optional. Both
Har du packat solkräm i din resväska?
and
Har du packat ner solkräm i din resväska?
are correct; they carry essentially the same meaning.

What does solkräm literally mean, and why is there no article before it?

Solkräm is a compound noun: sol (sun) + kräm (cream), i.e. “sunscreen” or “sun cream.” It’s treated as a mass noun here, so you don’t use an indefinite article. You simply say solkräm (some sunscreen).

Why is it din resväska rather than din resväskan?

When you use a possessive pronoun like din, the noun stays in its indefinite form. Since resväska is an en-word, you say din resväska (your suitcase), not din resväskan.

Why do we use i for “in your suitcase” instead of another preposition?

Swedish uses i to mean “in” or “inside.” So i din resväska means “inside your suitcase.” Using på would mean “on” (on top of), which wouldn’t make sense here.

How does the word order work in this Swedish question?

Swedish is a V2 language. In yes/no questions, the finite verb comes first, followed by the subject. That’s why you invert du and har:
Har du…?
instead of
Du har…?

How could I make this question more polite by using skulle?

You can add skulle (would) for a softer tone. For example:
Skulle du kunna packa solkräm i din resväska?
literally “Would you be able to pack sunscreen in your suitcase?”—a polite request rather than a simple check.

Could I use koffert instead of resväska?

Yes. Koffert is a valid synonym for “suitcase,” though resväska is more common in everyday Swedish. You would still say din koffert in the indefinite form when using a possessive pronoun.