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Jag kör bilen själv, men han tar taxi.

Jag kör bilen själv, men han tar taxi.
I drive the car myself, but he takes a taxi.

Breakdown of Jag kör bilen själv, men han tar taxi.

jag
I
ta
to take
han
he
men
but
själv
by myself
bilen
the car
köra
to drive
taxin
the taxi
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Questions & Answers about Jag kör bilen själv, men han tar taxi.

Why is it bilen and not just bil? When do I say köra bil vs köra bilen?
  • bil (indefinite) is used for the activity in general: Jag kan köra bil (I can drive / I drive in general).
  • bilen (definite) refers to a specific, context-known car: Jag kör bilen själv (I’m driving the car—this particular one—myself).
  • Use indefinite for skills/habits, definite for a particular instance or known car.
What does själv mean here? Is it “myself” or “alone”? How is it different from ensam?
  • Here själv means “by oneself/without help” or adds emphasis to the subject (“I myself”).
  • ensam means “alone” (without company).
  • Nuance:
    • Jag kör bilen själv = I’m doing the driving myself (no one else is driving for me).
    • Jag kör bilen ensam = I’m alone in the car (no passengers).
    • Both can overlap in meaning, but själv is about who performs the action; ensam is about being without company.
Where can I put själv? Are Jag kör bilen själv, Jag själv kör bilen, and Jag kör själv bilen all okay?
  • All are grammatical, but the nuance shifts:
    • Jag kör bilen själv: neutral and most common for “by myself/without help.”
    • Jag själv kör bilen: emphasizes the subject (“I, myself, am the one driving”).
    • Jag kör själv bilen: also subject emphasis; less common in everyday speech.
  • For “all by myself,” you can intensify: Jag kör bilen helt själv.
  • For “alone (no company),” use ensam.
Why is there no article before taxi in han tar taxi? Can I say han tar en taxi?
  • Swedish often omits the article with modes of transport: åka buss/tåg, ta taxi.
  • Han tar taxi = he uses taxi as a means of transport (generic).
  • Han tar en taxi is also idiomatic, usually focusing on taking a single cab in that instance; both are fine in most contexts.
What’s the difference between ta taxi and åka taxi?
  • ta taxi emphasizes the choice or act of taking/hailing a taxi.
    • Ex: Vi tar taxi till hotellet.
  • åka taxi emphasizes being in/transiting by taxi.
    • Ex: Vi åkte taxi i en halvtimme.
  • Often interchangeable in casual speech; choose based on what you want to highlight.
When do I use köra vs åka with bil?
  • köra bil = to drive a car (you are the driver).
  • åka bil = to ride/go by car (you are a passenger).
  • Ex:
    • Jag kör bil (I drive).
    • Jag åker bil (I’m going by car, not driving).
Why are kör and tar in the present? Can this mean “I am driving … he is taking …” right now?
  • Swedish present covers both English simple and progressive aspects.
  • Jag kör bilen själv can mean “I drive the car myself” (habit) or “I am driving the car myself” (right now), depending on context.
  • Present can also express near-future plans: Han tar taxi (senare/idag).
How do I conjugate ta and köra?
  • ta (to take): present tar, past tog, supine tagit, imperative ta; adjective participle: tagen (taken).
  • köra (to drive): present kör, past körde, supine kört, imperative kör; adjective participle: körd (driven).
Is the word order after men correct? How does V2 work here?
  • Yes. After men, you start a new main clause, which follows V2 (verb-second).
  • With the subject in first position, the finite verb comes second: men han tar taxi (subject han, verb tar).
  • Inversion (verb before subject) comes with questions or certain fronted elements: Men då tar han taxi.
Why is there a comma before men?
  • Swedish typically places a comma before men when it links two independent clauses.
  • So Jag kör bilen själv, men han tar taxi is standard punctuation.
Why han and not honom?
  • han is the subject form (he).
  • honom is the object form (him).
  • Here, han is the subject of tar.
If I mean “my car,” should I say min bil or can I just say bilen?
  • Use min bil to explicitly say “my car.”
  • bilen means “the car” known from context; it doesn’t automatically mean it’s yours. Swedish doesn’t generally drop possessives for items like cars.
How would I negate this? Where does inte go?
  • In main clauses, inte typically comes after the finite verb.
  • Examples:
    • Jag kör inte bilen själv, men han tar inte taxi.
    • If you want to negate only the “by myself” part: Jag kör bilen, men inte själv.
Pronunciation tips for kör and själv?
  • kör: the initial sound is the Swedish “kj”-sound (similar to a soft “sh”), and ö is a rounded vowel (like the French “eu”). Roughly like “shur.”
  • själv: the sj is the Swedish “sj”-sound (a breathy, husky sound with rounded lips), ä like “e” in “bed,” and final v is a normal “v.” It’s not pronounced like English “shelf.”
Can I drop the subject pronoun (e.g., say Kör bilen själv)?
  • No. Swedish is not a pro-drop language. You need the subject pronoun: Jag kör bilen själv.