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Kan du lyssna nu?

Kan du lyssna nu?
Can you listen now?
FromLesson 7inHardcore Swedish
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Breakdown of Kan du lyssna nu?

du
you
nu
now
kunna
can
lyssna
to listen
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Questions & Answers about Kan du lyssna nu?

Why is it lyssna and not lyssnar?

Because kan is a modal verb. After modals in Swedish (kan, ska, vill, måste, får, bör, brukar), you use the bare infinitive without att: kan lyssna.

  • Statement with main verb: Du lyssnar nu.
  • With a modal: Du kan lyssna nu.
  • Question with a modal: Kan du lyssna nu?
Do I need att before lyssna here?

No. After modal verbs you do not use att: Kan du lyssna nu? You do use att in other structures, for example with a subordinate clause:

  • Jag vill att du lyssnar nu. (I want you to listen now.)
Should I use lyssna or höra?
  • lyssna = to listen (active, paying attention). Use it for requests to pay attention: Kan du lyssna nu?
  • höra = to hear (perceive sound). Use it for audibility: Hör du mig nu? or Kan du höra mig nu? (“Can you hear me now?”)
Why isn’t there a på after lyssna?

You add på when you mention what or whom you listen to:

  • No object: Lyssna nu.
  • With object: Kan du lyssna på mig nu?, Jag lyssnar på musik.
Why does the verb come first? What’s the word order rule?

In yes–no questions, Swedish puts the finite verb first. Compare:

  • Statement: Du kan lyssna nu.
  • Yes–no question: Kan du lyssna nu?
How do I answer this naturally?

Common replies:

  • Yes: Ja. / Javisst. / Absolut. / Ja, det kan jag.
  • No: Nej, inte nu. / Nej, det kan jag inte. If the question is negative (e.g., Kan du inte lyssna nu?), you contradict with Jo:
  • Jo, det kan jag.
Is Kan du … polite enough?

It’s neutral–direct. To be softer/more polite, use:

  • Skulle du kunna lyssna nu?
  • Kan du lyssna nu, tack?
  • Var snäll och lyssna nu. / Snälla, kan du lyssna nu?
Could I just say Lyssna nu!? What’s the difference?
Lyssna nu! is an imperative—more direct and can sound like an order (often to children or in urgent situations). Kan du lyssna nu? is a request framed as a question and usually sounds a bit gentler.
What does Lyssnar du nu? mean compared with this sentence?
  • Kan du lyssna nu? = Are you able/willing to listen now? (request)
  • Lyssnar du nu? = Are you listening now? (checking whether you are listening at this moment)
Where should nu go? Can it be earlier in the sentence?

At the end is the most natural for a request: Kan du lyssna nu? Putting nu first changes the emphasis/meaning:

  • Nu kan du lyssna. = Now you can listen (as opposed to before). Kan du nu lyssna? is odd in modern Swedish.
How do I pronounce it?

Approximate IPA: [kan dʉː ˈlʏsːna nʉː]

  • du, nu: long front‑rounded vowel [ʉː].
  • lyssna: short y [ʏ] (front‑rounded), followed by a long s [sː]; stress on the first syllable: LYS‑sna.
  • Keep the final a in lyssna short and unstressed: [na].
How do I say it to more than one person?

Use plural ni:

  • Kan ni lyssna nu? Note: du (singular) and ni (plural) are not capitalized in modern Swedish.