Learn Hardcore Swedish: Han håller på att förklara, men hon låter honom prata. - He is in the middle of explaining, but she lets him talk.

It marks an ongoing action, roughly “is in the middle of doing.” Swedish doesn’t have a built-in -ing form, so håller på att + infinitive is a common way to express the English progressive (be + -ing), especially when you want to emphasize the action is happening right now.

Do I have to use håller på att, or can I just say Han förklarar?

Both are correct. The simple present (Han förklarar) often covers the English progressive meaning in Swedish. Han håller på att förklara adds extra focus to the process/ongoingness, like “he’s in the middle of explaining.”

Why is there att before förklara, but no att before prata?

After hålla på, you use att + infinitive: håller på att förklara.
After låta, you use a bare infinitive (no att): låter honom prata.
So: att is required in the first part, but ungrammatical in the second: not låter honom att prata.

How does låta work in this structure?

Låta means “to let/allow” and takes the pattern: låta + object + infinitive.
Examples:

Hon låter barnen leka.
Jag lät henne gå.
In your sentence: hon låter honom prata = she lets him talk.

Could låter mean “sounds” here?

Låter can mean “sounds” (e.g., Det låter bra). But when it’s followed by an object + infinitive (honom prata), it means “lets/allows.” Here it clearly has the “let” meaning.

Why honom and not han?

Honom is the object form; han is the subject form. After låta, you need an object: hon låter honom (object) prata, not hon låter han prata.
Quick reference: han (subject) → honom (object); hon (subject) → henne (object).

What’s going on with word order here? Why is the verb second?

Swedish main clauses are V2 (finite verb in second position).

Han håller på att förklara: subject (Han) first, finite verb (håller) second.
Hon låter honom prata: subject (Hon) first, finite verb (låter) second.
The rest of the material follows.

Why is there a comma before men?

You’re joining two main clauses. In Swedish, it’s common (and recommended) to put a comma before men when it links two independent clauses. It’s natural and correct here.

Can I say Han håller på och förklarar instead?

Yes. Håller på och + verb is very common in speech. Håller på att + infinitive is more neutral/standard, especially in writing. Both are widely used.

What’s the difference between hålla på att and hålla på med?

Hålla på att + verb (infinitive) = be in the process of doing something: håller på att förklara.
Hålla på med + noun/pronoun/thing = be busy with something: håller på med sin presentation.
Don’t say hålla på med att.

What’s the nuance between prata, tala, and förklara?

Prata = talk/speak (informal, everyday).
Tala = speak (more formal or careful speech).
Förklara = explain (give an explanation).
So he’s “explaining,” but she “lets him talk” (a broader activity). You could also say hon låter honom förklara if you want to stress allowing the explanation itself.

How do I negate these parts?

Ongoing part: Han håller inte på att förklara. (Place inte after the finite verb håller.)
Letting part: default is Hon låter honom inte prata.
You can also say Hon låter inte honom prata to emphasize “him” specifically.

Does håller på att ever mean “almost”?

In the past tense, yes: Jag höll på att ramla = I almost fell. In the present, håller på att usually means “is in the middle of,” not “almost.” For “about to,” Swedish often uses är på väg att or ska just (till) att.

Are there other natural ways to express the ongoing action?

Yes, Swedish often uses posture verbs + och + verb:

Han sitter och förklarar. (He’s sitting and explaining.)
Han står/ligger och pratar.
Also: Han är i färd med att förklara (more formal: “in the process of explaining”).

Could I say Hon låter honom förklara instead of … prata?

Yes. … förklara highlights that she allows the explanation specifically. … prata is broader—she lets him speak/talk in general. Choose based on what you want to emphasize.

Any quick pronunciation tips for tricky words here?

på / låter: å is a long vowel like the “aw” in “law,” but rounded.
håller: ö is like the vowel in British “bird,” but more rounded.
att: often pronounced very short, like å in casual speech.
Final r (as in håller, låter) is pronounced, but can be light in many accents.