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Titta på hunden!

Titta på hunden!
Look at the dog!
FromLesson 7inHardcore Swedish
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Breakdown of Titta på hunden!

hunden
the dog
titta på
to look at

Questions & Answers about Titta på hunden!

Why do we say titta på rather than just titta?

In Swedish, titta needs the preposition på to mark what you’re looking at.

  • 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)

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