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Questions & Answers about Kan du visa mig kartan?
What does each word in Kan du visa mig kartan? correspond to in English?
- Kan = can
- du = you
- visa = show
- mig = me
- kartan = the map
Why is it kartan and not karta?
Kartan is the definite form, meaning the map. Karta is indefinite, meaning a map. So:
- en karta = a map
- kartan = the map
How is the definite form kartan formed from karta?
For most common-gender nouns ending in -a:
- Indefinite singular: en karta
- Definite singular: kartan
- Indefinite plural: kartor
- Definite plural: kartorna
Why is it visa and not visar?
After a modal verb like kan (can), Swedish uses the bare infinitive: kan + visa. The present tense visar is used when visa is the main verb in a statement, e.g., Jag visar dig kartan (I am showing you the map).
Why is there no att (to) before visa?
Modals (like kan, vill, måste) are followed directly by the infinitive without att: kan visa, vill gå, måste plugga.
Is the word order Kan du … ? required for yes/no questions?
Yes. In yes/no questions, the verb comes first: Kan du visa … ? The statement order is Du kan visa …
Is visa mig kartan the only correct way to place the objects?
No. You can also say:
- Kan du visa kartan för mig? (show the map to me) Both are natural. With a short pronoun as the indirect object, visa mig kartan is especially common and compact.
Can I say visa kartan mig?
No, that’s not idiomatic in Swedish. Use visa mig kartan or visa kartan för mig.
Why is there no preposition like “to” before mig?
Swedish often allows a “double object” pattern with a pronoun indirect object: visa mig kartan (literally “show me the map”). If you use a full noun phrase as the indirect object, a preposition (för) is preferred: visa kartan för min vän.
How can I make this more polite?
- Skulle du kunna visa mig kartan? (more polite/cautious)
- Kan du visa mig kartan, tack? (adding “please/thanks”)
- Skulle ni kunna visa mig kartan? is a formal/plural option, used sparingly in modern Swedish (e.g., in customer service).
How do I pronounce tricky parts like mig and kartan?
- mig is usually pronounced like “may” (mej) in everyday speech; the spelling mig is standard.
- In kartan, the rt merges into a single retroflex “t”-like sound. So it sounds roughly like “kar-tan” with a retroflex t.
How else could I ask to see the map?
- Får jag se kartan? (May I see the map?)
- Kan jag få se kartan? (Can I get to see the map?) These focus on you being allowed to see it, rather than on the other person’s ability.
How would I answer this question in Swedish?
- Yes: Ja, det kan jag. / Ja, visst.
- No: Nej, det kan jag inte. Adding a reason is common: Nej, det kan jag inte, jag har inte kartan.
Where does inte (not) go?
- Question: Kan du inte visa mig kartan?
- Statement: Du kan inte visa mig kartan. With modals, inte usually comes after the modal in statements and after the subject in questions.
Which pronoun replaces kartan if I don’t want to repeat it?
Use den (because karta is an “en”-word): Kan du visa mig den?
Should I use för or åt with visa?
With visa, use för for the person you’re showing something to: Visa kartan för mig. Åt is more for doing something on someone’s behalf and is not typical with visa here.
Is du always appropriate here?
Yes, du is the normal, polite singular “you.” Ni can be plural or a formal singular in some service contexts, but everyday Swedish strongly favors du.