Learn Hardcore Swedish: Vad säger hon om mötet? - What is she saying about the meeting?

Swedish main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb comes in the second slot. A wh-word like vad occupies the first slot, so the verb (säger) must come next, then the subject (hon).

Statement: Hon säger något om mötet.
Wh-question (main clause, V2): Vad säger hon om mötet?
Yes/no question: Säger hon något om mötet?
Indirect question (subordinate clause, no V2): Jag undrar vad hon säger om mötet.

When do I use vad vs vilken/vilket/vilka or vad för?

vad = what (open question, not choosing from a known set): Vad heter du?
vilken/vilket/vilka = which/what (specific choice, used with a noun): Vilket möte menar du?
vad för (en/ett) = what kind of: Vad för möte var det? / Vad för ett möte var det? Tip: If you can say “which” in English, Swedish often wants vilken/vilket/vilka.

What does om mean here, and what else can it mean?

Here om means about: Vad säger hon om mötet? = What does she say about the meeting? Other common meanings:

if/whether: Jag undrar om hon kommer.
in (time): Vi ses om en timme. Context disambiguates which meaning is intended.

Why not use angående, omkring, or kring instead of om?

angående (regarding) is more formal: Vad säger hon angående mötet? Works, but sounds official.
omkring usually means around/approximately, not about in the “topic” sense: omkring 20 personer (about 20 people).
kring can mean around (literal/figurative), but with speech verbs it’s less idiomatic than om. Stick with om for “about (a topic)” after verbs like säga, tycka, prata.

Why is it mötet and not möte?

Swedish marks definiteness with a suffix. möte is “meeting” (indefinite), and mötet is “the meeting” (definite). You use the definite form when the meeting is specific/known in context.

What gender is möte, and what are its forms?

möte is a neuter noun (an ett-word).

Indefinite singular: ett möte
Definite singular: mötet
Indefinite plural: möten
Definite plural: mötena With an adjective in definite form: det viktiga mötet (the important meeting).

How is säga conjugated?

Infinitive: säga
Present: säger
Preterite (past): sa or sade (both correct; sa is more common in speech)
Supine (used with har): sagt
Imperative: säg! Examples:
Hon säger mycket.
Hon sa/sade något igår.
Hon har sagt att hon kommer.

How do I ask it in the past or with the present perfect?

Simple past: Vad sa/sade hon om mötet? (What did she say about the meeting?)
Present perfect: Vad har hon sagt om mötet? (What has she said about the meeting?)

Why hon and not henne or hennes? And what about hen?

hon = she (subject): Hon säger…
henne = her (object): Jag hörde henne.
hennes = her/hers (possessive): Hennes åsikt.
hen = gender-neutral subject/object: Hen säger…, Jag såg hen. Use hon here because it’s the subject of the verb.

Does Vad säger hon om… ask for her words or her opinion? How is it different from Vad tycker hon om…?

Vad säger hon om… asks what she actually says (reported speech/content of her statement).
Vad tycker hon om… asks what she thinks/feels (her opinion). Both can sometimes yield similar answers in practice, but the focus differs.

How do you pronounce the sentence naturally?

Vad: long a; the final d is often very soft or silent. Think “vaa(d)”.
säger: the g is a y-sound; roughly “SEH-yer,” with ä like the e in “bed” but longer.
hon: short vowel, like the oo in “book.”
om: short o as in “off.”
mötet: mö is a rounded vowel (shape your lips as for “oo” but say “eh”): “MEU-teht.” The final -et is pronounced. Intonation: wh-questions in Swedish typically fall at the end, not rise like in English.

Why can’t I say Vad hon säger om mötet? as a direct question?

That word order (vad hon säger…) is for subordinate/indirect questions: Jag undrar vad hon säger om mötet. In a direct question, Swedish requires V2: Vad säger hon om mötet?

Can I front the prepositional phrase: Om mötet, vad säger hon?

Yes, topicalization like that is possible for emphasis or style, but it’s less neutral and more written/rhetorical. The standard word order is Vad säger hon om mötet?

What’s the difference between om mötet and på mötet?

om mötet = about the meeting (topic).
på mötet = at the meeting (location/event). Examples:
Vad säger hon om mötet? (topic)
Vad sa hon på mötet? (what did she say while she was at the meeting)

Could om here mean “if”? Is the sentence ambiguous?

No. With a wh-word (vad) plus a topic noun (mötet), om is naturally read as “about.” The “if/whether” meaning of om appears in clauses like om hon kommer (“if she comes”), not in this structure.

Is there any nuance if I say Vad säger hon om att flytta mötet?

That pattern (Vad säger du/hon om att…) is idiomatic and means “What do you think about [doing X]?” or “How would she feel about moving the meeting?” It’s often used to float a proposal.

Is sade different from sa?

They mean the same (past of säga). sa is shorter and very common in speech and modern writing; sade is a bit more formal/literary but fully correct.

I’ve seen säjer—is that acceptable?

The standard spelling is säger. You may encounter säjer in informal contexts or older texts, but stick to säger in modern standard Swedish.

Does the present tense säger mean “is saying” right now or “says” in general?

Swedish present can cover both ongoing and habitual/general statements. Vad säger hon om mötet? could mean “What is she saying (now)?” or “What does she say (generally)?” Context decides.

How would I answer this question in Swedish when reporting what she says?

Use att-clauses or direct speech:

Hon säger att mötet var bra.
Hon säger att det blir uppskjutet.
Hon säger: Det var ett långt möte.