Learn Hardcore Swedish: Hon åker buss så att hon kommer i tid. - She takes the bus so that she arrives on time.

Swedish often uses a bare singular noun to express means of transport after verbs like åka: åka buss, åka tåg, åka bil = go by bus/train/car. If you mean a particular bus, use the definite: ta/åka med bussen. Indefinite with an article is rare here; Hon tar en buss can occur if the specific bus doesn’t matter, but the idiomatic general way is hon åker buss.

What’s the difference between åker buss and tar bussen?

åker buss focuses on the mode of transport in general (“travels by bus”).
tar bussen focuses on choosing/catching a specific bus (“takes the bus”). Both are fine; choose based on whether you’re talking about the means in general or a particular bus/ride.

What exactly does så att do here?

It’s a subordinating conjunction meaning “so that,” introducing a subordinate clause that states the intended outcome or result: … så att hon kommer i tid. The clause after så att has its own subject and a finite verb.

Can I use för att instead? What’s the difference?

Yes. Two common options:

Purpose with infinitive (same subject): Hon åker buss för att komma i tid.
Purpose with its own subject (finite verb): Hon åker buss för att hon ska komma i tid. Compared with så att, för att highlights intention a bit more; så att can express purpose or consequence. Avoid the ungrammatical purpose form för att hon kommer i tid; you need ska/skulle there.

Do I need a comma before så att?

No. Hon åker buss så att hon kommer i tid is standard. A comma is optional if the first clause is long or if you want to mark a pause, and is somewhat more common when så att introduces a consequence rather than a purpose.

Why is it present tense (kommer) if the arrival is in the future?

Swedish often uses present tense for planned or expected future: Vi ses i morgon, Tåget går kl. 7. Here, … så att hon kommer i tid means “…so that she will arrive on time.” You could also say … så att hon ska komma i tid, which adds an explicit sense of intention/plan.

What word order should I use in the så att-clause?

Use subordinate-clause order: subject before verb. Hence … att hon kommer …, not … att kommer hon …. Also, adverbs like inte come before the verb in subordinate clauses: … så att hon inte kommer för sent (not kommer inte).

Is this att the same “att” as the infinitive marker?

No. Here att is the subordinator “that” as part of så att (“so that”). The infinitive “to” att appears before infinitives: för att komma (“in order to come”).

Can I drop att and say så hon kommer i tid?

In everyday speech, yes: Hon åker buss så hon kommer i tid is common. In careful or formal writing, keep så att.

Could I say är i tid instead of kommer i tid?

Yes, but there’s a nuance:

kommer i tid = arrives on time (focus on the act of arriving).
är i tid = is on time (focus on the resulting state). Both fit here; choose what you want to emphasize: Hon åker buss så att hon är i tid is fine.

What’s the difference between i tid and i god tid?

i tid = on time, neither late nor early.
i god tid = in good time, with time to spare (comfortably early). Antonyms you’ll hear: för sent (“too late”), för tidigt (“too early”).

Does kör buss mean the same as åker buss?

No. kör buss means “drives a bus” (as the driver). åker buss means “travels by bus” (as a passenger).

Is åker med bussen or reser med buss correct?

Both are acceptable.

åker med bussen = rides the bus (usually a specific bus).
reser med buss = travels by bus (more formal/long-distance feel). For everyday local travel, åker buss is the most idiomatic.

Can I front the purpose clause?

Yes:

För att komma i tid åker hon buss.
If you use a finite clause: För att hon ska komma i tid åker hon buss. These are stylistically a bit more formal/emphatic and follow main-clause V2 after the initial adverbial.

Is på tid ever used for “on time”?

No. Use i tid. Note that det är på tiden is a different idiom meaning “it’s about time.”

Could I say this with simple så instead of så att?

Yes, as a coordination: Hon åker buss, så hon kommer i tid. That reads as “She takes the bus, so she comes on time.” It tends to state a consequence. så att can express either consequence or intended purpose; choose based on nuance and formality.

Is there a degree construction with så … att … I should know?

Yes, separate from the current sentence: så … att … can mean “so … that …” indicating degree, e.g. Hon startade så tidigt att hon var först på plats. Don’t confuse this with the fixed connector så att used above.