Learn Hardcore Swedish: Titta på hunden!

Titta! = Look! (intransitive: no object)
Titta på hunden! = Look at the dog! (transitive with a prepositional object)
This pattern is the same with other perception verbs: lyssna på musiken, vänta på bussen, tro på Gud.

What’s the difference between titta, se, and kolla?

titta (på) = look (at), an intentional act of directing your eyes. Very common and neutral.
se = see; also used as watch. Takes a direct object: se en film, se solen.
kolla (på) = check/look (at), casual/colloquial.
Roughly: English look at ≈ titta på, see ≈ se, watch ≈ se or titta på (context decides).

Can I just say Titta! without på?

Yes. Titta! works on its own to get someone’s attention (Look!). As soon as you name what to look at, add på: Titta på hunden!. Saying Titta hunden! is ungrammatical.

Is Se hunden! correct?

Grammatically yes, but it sounds formal/poetic—like Behold the dog! In everyday speech you’d say Titta på hunden!. You may also hear Se på hunden!, which is a bit more old-fashioned/regional than titta på.

Where is the word “the” in hunden?

Swedish puts definiteness on the noun as a suffix. hund = dog; hunden = the dog. Because hund is a common-gender (en) noun, the definite ending is -en.

Singular: hund → hunden
Plural: hundar → hundarna

When would I use en hund instead of hunden?

Use en hund when the dog is not specific/known (a dog, any dog): Titta på en hund! This sounds natural if you mean any random dog (e.g., in a picture book). Use hunden when the dog is identifiable in the situation (the one we both see/know).

How do I say “Look at the dogs!” (plural)?

Titta på hundarna!
Indefinite plural is hundar (dogs); definite plural is hundarna (the dogs).

How do I refer to the dog with a pronoun?

For a common-gender thing/animal: Titta på den! (Look at it!)
If you know the dog’s sex and treat it like a person/animal: Titta på honom!/Titta på henne!
Neuter singular thing: Titta på det!
Plural: Titta på dem! (spelled dem, pronounced like dom)

How do I say “Don’t look at the dog!”?

Put inte after the imperative verb: Titta inte på hunden!
With a pronoun: Titta inte på den!

How can I make the command softer or more polite?

Kan du titta på hunden (snälla)?
Skulle du kunna titta på hunden? (more polite)
Var snäll och titta på hunden.
Titta gärna på hunden. (feel free to/look at it if you like)

Are there casual alternatives to titta på?

Yes:

Kolla på hunden! (very colloquial)
Kika på hunden! (informal, a bit softer)
Kolla in hunden! / Spana in hunden! (check out the dog; slangy, evaluative)

What verb form is titta here?

It’s the imperative (command). For regular -a verbs (group 1), the imperative is the bare stem. Key forms of titta:

Infinitive: att titta
Present: tittar
Past: tittade
Supine: tittat
Imperative: titta

Is the word order fixed? Could I say På hunden, titta!?

The normal order is imperative + particle + object: Titta på hunden!
Fronting På hunden is possible only for strong stylistic effect and sounds theatrical. Stick to Titta på X.

Any pronunciation tips for Titta på hunden?

titta: short i, long/double t; say it like TIT-ta.
på: the letter å is pronounced like a long “o” (poo without the glide): poh.
hund: short Swedish u (rounded, between “oo” and “uh”), roughly HUN-d; hunden adds -en: HUN-den.
Natural stress: TÍT-ta på HÚN-den (imperative has a clear initial stress).

Why does på mean “on” but here it’s “at”?

På covers a wide range of English prepositions, including on/at/for in set verb patterns. You must learn these with the verb:

titta på (look at)
lyssna på (listen to)
vänta på (wait for)
tro på (believe in)
Compare: se doesn’t need på when it’s simply “see”: Jag ser hunden.

What happens if there’s an adjective, like “the big dog”?

Swedish uses double definiteness with adjectives: Titta på den stora hunden!

Determiner: den (common gender)
Adjective: stora (definite form)
Noun: hunden (definite form)

Can the preposition på be stranded at the end like in English questions?

Yes, in everyday Swedish: Vem tittar du på? (Who are you looking at?)
More formal: På vem tittar du?
In statements, keep på with titta: titta på hunden.

How do I say “Look, the dog!” (not “look at the dog”)?

Use a comma and no på: Titta, hunden! (Look, the dog!)
With på you get the meaning “look at”: Titta på hunden!

If I mean “watch/supervise the dog” (not just glance at it), what should I use?

Use verbs of guarding/caring:

Vakta hunden. (guard the dog)
Passa hunden. (mind/sit the dog)
Håll ett öga på hunden. (keep an eye on the dog)