Learn Hardcore Swedish: Orkar du träna ikväll, eller vill du hellre dricka te? - Do you have the energy to exercise tonight, or would you rather drink tea?

Because after the verbs orka and vilja (vill), Swedish uses the infinitive without att. They behave like modal verbs. So you say orkar du träna and vill du dricka. The present-tense forms (tränar, dricker) are used when those verbs stand alone, e.g., Du tränar ikväll or Du dricker te.

Can I insert “att” before the infinitive?

Not here. After modal-like verbs such as kan, vill, måste, orkar, hinner, Swedish omits att: Vill du dricka? (not Vill du att dricka?). With vill att, it must introduce a clause: Jag vill att du dricker te.

What exactly does “orka” mean, and how is it different from “kan” or “ha lust”?

Orka means “to have the energy/strength (mental or physical) to do something,” roughly “feel up to.” It’s about stamina, not permission or skill.

kan = can/able (ability/possibility): Kan du träna?
ha lust (med) = feel like (desire): Har du lust att träna?
orka (med) = have the energy/cope: Orkar du träna? / Orkar du med det? Colloquial synonym: palla (slang): Pallar du träna?

Could I say “Klarar du att träna” or “Hinner du träna” instead?

Different nuance:

Klarar (av) att träna = manage to, be capable of completing it (often with av).
Hinner du träna = do you have time to.
Kan du träna = is it possible/are you able to.
Orkar du träna = do you have the energy. Use the one that matches your meaning.

Where does “hellre” go in the sentence?

Place hellre right after the finite verb (vill) and before the infinitive phrase: Vill du hellre dricka te? You don’t say Vill du dricka hellre te? In multi-verb clusters, hellre typically follows the first finite verb.

Should it be “hellre … än …” instead of using “eller”?

Both are idiomatic:

With än: Vill du hellre dricka te än träna (ikväll)? Explicit comparison.
With eller: Orkar du …, eller vill du hellre dricka te? Eller presents an alternative; hellre signals preference for the second option. Slightly more conversational.

How do “gärna,” “hellre,” and “helst” relate?

They express degrees of preference/willingness:

gärna = gladly: Jag tränar gärna.
hellre = rather (comparative): Jag dricker hellre te än kaffe.
helst = most preferably (superlative): Jag dricker helst te.

Why is there a comma before “eller”?

There are two main clauses joined by eller. Swedish style guides commonly recommend a comma between independent clauses joined by men, utan, eller, etc. Omitting it occurs in informal writing, but the comma is clear and correct here.

“ikväll” or “i kväll”? Which spelling is correct?

Both are accepted. Many style guides prefer the two-word form (i kväll) in formal writing, but the one-word form (ikväll) is very common. Be consistent within a text.

Can I put “ikväll” somewhere else?

Yes. Default is end position: Orkar du träna ikväll? For emphasis you can front it: Ikväll, orkar du träna, eller vill du hellre dricka te? In statements, remember V2: Ikväll orkar jag inte träna.

Why is there no article before “te”?

Beverages like te, kaffe, vin are often mass nouns when you talk about drinking in general, so no article: dricka te. If you mean one serving, use en kopp te or simply order ett te (many people also say en te colloquially). The definite form is teet (“the tea”).

Is “du” informal? What about “ni”?

Du is the default singular “you” in modern Swedish, even with strangers. Ni is plural “you”. As a formal singular it exists but is limited and can feel stiff or condescending if misused. To address several people, use ni: Orkar ni träna ikväll?

How would I answer this question naturally?

Typical answers:

Prefer training: Ja, jag orkar.
Prefer tea: Nej, jag vill hellre dricka te. / Hellre te.
Neither: Nej, jag orkar inte träna, och jag vill inte dricka te. In Swedish it’s common to respond with the chosen alternative rather than just “yes/no.”

Where does “inte” go if I make it negative?

After the finite verb: Orkar du inte träna ikväll, eller vill du hellre dricka te? In a statement: Jag orkar inte träna ikväll. With vill: Jag vill inte dricka te.

Does “träna” mean both “exercise” and “practice”?

Yes. Träna commonly means to work out/exercise, but also to train/practice a skill: träna svenska, träna fotboll. For “practice” as in doing exercises, öva (på) is also common: öva på att uttala. For “train someone,” use transitive träna någon.

Why is the verb first in “Orkar du …”?

Yes/no questions in Swedish start with the finite verb before the subject: Orkar du …? Vill du …? Kan du …? In statements it’s subject–verb: Du orkar … (unless something else is fronted due to V2).