Breakdown of Min chef har ett möte på morgonen, så vi väntar.
ha
to have
ett
a
vi
we
min
my
så
so
på
in
morgonen
the morning
mötet
the meeting
chefen
the boss
vänta
to wait
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Swedish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Min chef har ett möte på morgonen, så vi väntar.
Why is it min chef and not mitt chef?
Because chef is a common-gender (en-word) noun, and possessives agree with grammatical gender/number:
- min for en-words (singular): min chef
- mitt for ett-words (singular): mitt möte
- mina for all plurals: mina chefer, mina möten Natural gender (male/female) does not affect this choice.
Why is it ett möte and not en möte?
Möte is a neuter (ett-word) noun, so you use ett. Its forms:
- singular: ett möte, definite: mötet
- plural: möten, definite plural: mötena
Can I drop the article and say min chef har möte?
Yes. Both are correct but with a nuance:
- har ett möte = has a specific, countable meeting (scheduled event).
- har möte = is in a meeting / has meeting(s) (activity-focused, often right now or as a block of time). With a time like på morgonen, both can work:
- Min chef har ett möte på morgonen (one particular meeting that morning).
- Min chef har möte på morgonen (is in meetings in the morning, or has a meeting block).
Why is it på morgonen and not something like i morgonen or just på morgon?
Time-of-day expressions in Swedish typically use på + the definite form:
- på morgonen (in the morning), på dagen, på kvällen, på natten You don’t say i morgonen in standard Swedish, and bare på morgon is dialectal/colloquial—stick with på morgonen.
Does på morgonen mean “this morning,” “in the mornings,” or something else?
- på morgonen = in the morning (of a given/understood day, e.g., today or the day being discussed).
- For habits/generally: på morgnarna (in the mornings, usually).
- “This morning” (earlier today): i morse.
What’s the difference between på morgonen, i morgon, and “tomorrow morning”?
- på morgonen = in the morning (time of day).
- i morgon (often written imorgon) = tomorrow.
- “Tomorrow morning” = i morgon bitti (early), or i morgon på morgonen (neutral), or i morgon förmiddag (late morning/forenoon).
Can I front the time and say På morgonen har min chef ett möte?
Yes. Swedish is a V2 language, so the finite verb stays in second position:
- På morgonen har min chef ett möte, så vi väntar. This is perfectly natural and emphasizes the time.
Is the comma before så required?
It’s optional but common. In Swedish, a comma may separate two main clauses. Many writers include a comma before så when it means “so/therefore” to mark the result clause:
- Min chef har ett möte på morgonen, så vi väntar. You can omit it in informal writing; keep it for clarity.
What exactly does så do here, and how is it different from så att or därför?
- så (here) = coordinating conjunction meaning “so/therefore,” introducing a result: “…, so we wait.”
- så att = “so that,” often for result or purpose: …, så att vi måste vänta (…, so that we have to wait).
- därför = “therefore,” an adverb; if you use it, you change word order: Min chef har ett möte på morgonen, därför väntar vi.
Why is it simple present vi väntar when English would say “we’re waiting”?
Swedish has no separate continuous tense; the simple present covers both simple and progressive meanings. Vi väntar can mean “we wait” or “we’re waiting,” depending on context.
Do I need på after vänta? When do I use vänta på?
- vänta by itself = to wait (intransitive): Vi väntar. (We’re waiting.)
- vänta på = to wait for (someone/something): Vi väntar på min chef.
- Before a clause, use vänta på att: Vi väntar på att mötet ska/shall sluta. Avoid English-influenced vänta att (incorrect).
How do I express future “we will wait”?
Several options:
- Vi ska vänta (we’re going to wait; intention/plan).
- Vi kommer att vänta (we will end up waiting; more neutral future).
- Vi väntar
- a future time adverbial often suffices in Swedish.
Is there a difference between har ett möte, är på möte, and är i möte?
Yes, subtle:
- har (ett) möte = has a meeting (scheduled/ongoing).
- är på möte = is at a meeting (location/attendance).
- är i möte = is in a meeting (engaged, often used on phones/status).
Does Swedish chef mean the same as English “chef”?
No. Swedish chef = boss/manager. A culinary “chef” is kock (or chefskock in specific contexts).
How are the words pronounced?
Approximate guidance (Swedish varies by region):
- chef: with the “sj”-sound, like a breathy “sh” far back in the mouth: [ɧeːf].
- har: long a, like “hahr.”
- ett möte: ö like rounded “er” in “nurse” (British), roughly “MEU-teh.”
- på: long “å,” like “paw.”
- morgonen: often like “MORR-on-en”; the “g” can be weak/assimilated.
- väntar: ä like “e” in “bed”: “VEN-tar.”
Why is it the definite form morgonen after på?
With parts of the day, Swedish typically uses på + definite:
- på morgonen, på dagen, på kvällen, på natten For habitual meaning, use the definite plural: på morgnarna (in the mornings).
Could I say Min chef har ett möte i morgon bitti to mean “My boss has a meeting tomorrow morning”?
Yes. That’s natural:
- Min chef har ett möte i morgon bitti. You can also say i morgon på morgonen (neutral) or i morgon förmiddag (late morning).
What are the basic singular/plural forms of the key nouns?
- chef (en): singular definite chefen; plural chefer; definite plural cheferna.
- möte (ett): singular definite mötet; plural möten; definite plural mötena.
- morgon (en): singular definite morgonen; plural morgnar; definite plural morgnarna.