Questions & Answers about Lyssna på henne, och svara honom sedan.
What form are Lyssna and svara? Are they imperatives and how are they formed?
Yes, both Lyssna and svara are imperatives (commands). In Swedish:
- Group 1 (present ends in -ar): imperative = infinitive form, e.g., lyssna!, svara!, prata!
- Group 2 (present ends in -er): drop the final -a, e.g., köp! (köpa), stäng! (stänga)
- Group 3: keep the infinitive form, e.g., bo!, tro!
- Some common irregulars: kom! (komma), var! (vara), gå! (gå)
Why is it lyssna på henne and not lyssna henne?
Because lyssna requires the preposition på before its object: lyssna på någon/något. That’s the default pattern. Lyssna till also exists but is more formal/poetic (e.g., lyssna till hjärtat). If you mean “hear,” use höra without a preposition: Jag hör henne.
Why is it svara honom without a preposition? When do I use på with svara?