Han pratar med sin lärare efter mötet.

He talks with his teacher after the meeting.

Breakdown of Han pratar med sin lärare efter mötet.

• han: he
• prata: to talk
• efter: after
• med: with
• läraren: the teacher
• mötet: the meeting
• sin: his

Questions & Answers about Han pratar med sin lärare efter mötet.

Why is it sin and not hans?

• sin is the reflexive possessive that refers back to the subject of the clause. Han pratar med sin lärare = he talks with his own teacher.
• hans means his (someone else’s). Han pratar med hans lärare = he talks with another man’s teacher.
• Agreement with the possessed noun: sin (en-words), sitt (ett-words), sina (plurals).

How do I know lärare is singular here, since it looks the same as the plural?

• The possessive tells you: sin lärare = singular; sina lärare = plural.
• Forms of lärare:
  • Singular: en lärare, definite: läraren
  • Plural: lärare, definite plural: lärarna

Why is it mötet and not möte?

• mötet is definite: “the meeting.” Swedish typically uses the definite form when a specific, known event is meant: efter mötet = after the (known) meeting.
• Alternatives:
  • efter ett möte = after a meeting (any meeting)
  • efter möten = after meetings (in general)
  • efter mötena = after the meetings (specific set)

Can I say pratar till instead of pratar med?

• Use pratar med to mean “talk to/with (someone).”
• talar till exists but means “addresses” (one-way), not a two-way chat. pratar till is uncommon/unidiomatic.

Is pratar the same as talar?

• Both mean “speak/talk.” pratar is more colloquial; talar is more formal or used in set phrases (e.g., talar svenska).
• Both fit here: Han talar med sin lärare efter mötet is fine, slightly more formal.

Can I front the time phrase? Is Efter mötet pratar han med sin lärare correct?

• Yes. Swedish main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be the second element.
  • Correct: Efter mötet pratar han med sin lärare.
  • Incorrect: Efter mötet han pratar med sin lärare.

Where does inte go in this sentence?

• After the finite verb in main clauses:
  • Neutral order: Han pratar inte med sin lärare efter mötet.
  • With fronted time: Efter mötet pratar han inte med sin lärare.

Why not sin läraren? Don’t Swedish nouns often have “double definiteness”?

• After a possessive, Swedish does not add the definite ending. So it’s sin lärare, not sin läraren.
• Compare:
  • With article + adjective (double definiteness): den nya läraren
  • With possessive: min nya lärare (no -n on the noun)

How do I pronounce the vowels in this sentence?

• ä (in lärare): like the vowel in English “bed,” often a bit more open/long: [ɛː] in the stressed syllable.
• ö (in mötet): rounded front vowel, similar to French “peu”: long [øː] in the stressed syllable.
• a (in han, pratar): a back a, often long [ɑː] in stressed syllables.
• Approximate IPA (one common pronunciation): Han pratar med sin lärare efter mötet → [hɑːn ˈprɑːtar meːd sɪn ˈlɛːrarɛ ˈɛftɛr ˈmøːtɛt]. Regional variation exists.

What grammatical gender are lärare and möte, and why does it matter?

• lärare is common gender: en lärare, definite läraren.
• möte is neuter: ett möte, definite mötet.
• Gender determines articles and definite endings, and which form of sin to use (sin for en-words, sitt for ett-words).

Does Swedish have a separate “is talking” form? Is pratar present simple or progressive?

• Swedish present (pratar) covers both “talks” and “is talking.”
• To emphasize ongoing action, you can say håller på att prata or use posture verbs: står/sitter och pratar.

Can I say Han pratar efter mötet med sin lärare?

• Grammatically possible, but less natural because prata med [någon] is a tight unit. It’s clearer to keep them together:
  • Preferred: Han pratar med sin lärare efter mötet.
  • Or front time: Efter mötet pratar han med sin lärare.
• Note that Efter mötet med sin lärare would mean “after the meeting with his teacher,” which shifts the meaning.

How would this change with a different subject (she/they)?

• She: Hon pratar med sin lärare efter mötet (her own teacher). hennes lärare = someone else’s teacher.
• They:
  • De pratar med sin lärare = their (one shared) teacher.
  • De pratar med sina lärare = their teachers (plural).
• Remember: sin/sitt/sina agree with what is owned, not with the subject.

What’s the opposite of efter here, and how would I use it?

• Opposite is före (“before”): Han pratar med sin lärare före mötet.
• Related adverbs: efteråt / sedan (“afterwards/then”), used without an object: Han pratar med sin lärare efteråt.