Om du lyssnar nu, kan jag svara på allt.

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Breakdown of Om du lyssnar nu, kan jag svara på allt.

• du: you
• nu: now
• kunna: be able to

Questions & Answers about Om du lyssnar nu, kan jag svara på allt.

Why is it “kan jag” instead of “jag kan” in the second clause?

Swedish main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must come in second position. When you front something (here, the subordinate clause “Om du lyssnar nu”), the verb of the following main clause (“kan”) comes before the subject (“jag”): “Om du lyssnar nu, kan jag …”. If the main clause comes first, you get the usual “Jag kan svara på allt om du lyssnar nu.”

Do I need the comma after “Om du lyssnar nu”?

It’s optional in modern Swedish. Traditional punctuation puts a comma between a fronted subordinate clause and the main clause; many contemporary texts omit it: “Om du lyssnar nu kan jag svara på allt.” Both are correct—choose a consistent style.

Could I say “Om du lyssnar nu, jag kan svara på allt”?

No. After a fronted element, Swedish requires inversion (V2) in the main clause. You must say either “Om du lyssnar nu, kan jag svara på allt” or “Jag kan svara på allt om du lyssnar nu.”

It looks like a question when it starts “kan jag …”. Is it?

Not here—it’s a statement. The verb comes before the subject because of V2 after the fronted clause, not because it’s a question. A yes/no question would use a question mark and rising intonation: “Om du lyssnar nu, kan jag svara på allt?”

Why is it “svara på” and not just “svara”?