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Questions & Answers about Självklart kan jag hjälpa dig.
What part of speech is "Självklart" here, and what does that imply?
Självklart is an adverb here, modifying the whole clause and meaning roughly “of course/obviously.” It comes from the adjective självklar (obvious). Adjective: Det är självklart. Adverb: Självklart kan jag hjälpa dig.
Why is it "kan jag" instead of "jag kan"?
Swedish main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in second position. Since Självklart is placed first, the verb kan comes second and the subject jag comes third: Självklart (1) kan (2) jag (3) hjälpa dig. With the subject first, you get Jag kan hjälpa dig.
Where else can I put "självklart" in this sentence?
- After the finite verb (very natural): Jag kan självklart hjälpa dig.
- Clause-initial for emphasis: Självklart kan jag hjälpa dig.
- As an afterthought/tag: Jag kan hjälpa dig, självklart.
- At the very end without a comma (Jag kan hjälpa dig självklart) is uncommon unless contrastively stressed.
Why is there no "att" before "hjälpa"?
Because kan is a modal verb. Swedish omits att before infinitives after modals like kan, vill, ska, måste, bör: Jag kan hjälpa. With non-modals, att appears: Jag lovar att hjälpa.
How do you conjugate "hjälpa"?
- Infinitive: hjälpa
- Present: hjälper
- Past: hjälpte
- Supine: hjälpt
- Imperative: hjälp
How do you pronounce the whole sentence?
Approximate: SHEHLV-klart kan yah YEL-pa day.
IPA (Central Swedish): [ˈɧɛlvˌklɑːʈ kan jɑː ˈjɛlpa dej]
Tips:
- sj in självklart is the Swedish [ɧ] sound (a husky, back-of-mouth “sh”).
- rt forms a retroflex [ʈ] in klart.
- hj in hjälpa is pronounced [j] (like English y), the h is silent.
- j is [j] (English y).
- jag is usually [jɑː] (often heard as [ja]).
- dig is commonly pronounced [dej] (the g is silent).
Why is "dig" spelled with g if people say it like "dej"?
Standard spelling is mig/dig/sig, but in much of Sweden they’re pronounced [mej/dej/sej]. Informal writing sometimes uses mej/dej/sej; formal writing sticks to mig/dig/sig. Some dialects do pronounce the g.
What pronouns should I use for plural "you"?
Subject ni, object er: Självklart kan jag hjälpa er.
A formal singular Ni/Er exists (e.g., in customer service) but can feel old-fashioned or overly formal; du/dig is the default for one person.
What’s the nuance difference between "kan hjälpa" and "hjälper"?
- kan hjälpa = can/able to (often a response to a request): Självklart kan jag hjälpa dig.
- hjälper = am/will help (more definite commitment): Självklart hjälper jag dig.
How do I say "help you with something" or "help you do something"?
- With a noun: hjälpa [någon] med [något] → Jag kan hjälpa dig med läxan.
- With a verb: hjälpa [någon] (att) [infinitiv] → Jag kan hjälpa dig (att) flytta.
Here att is optional and often omitted.
Are there good synonyms for "självklart"?
- Naturligtvis: neutral to formal.
- Givetvis: formal/bookish.
- Såklart/så klart: colloquial.
- Klart: short, conversational (e.g., Klart jag kan hjälpa dig).
- Visst: confirming particle (e.g., Visst kan jag hjälpa dig).
Do I need a comma after "Självklart"?
No. Swedish normally avoids a comma after a short fronted adverb. Självklart kan jag hjälpa dig is correct. Use a comma only if it’s an afterthought at the end: Jag kan hjälpa dig, självklart.
What are the adjective forms related to "självklart"?
Adjective base: självklar (obvious).
- Common gender singular: självklar → en självklar sak
- Neuter singular: självklart → ett självklart val
- Plural/definite: självklara → de självklara reglerna
The adverb is självklart.
Where does "inte" go in this kind of sentence?
After the finite verb in main clauses: Jag kan inte hjälpa dig.
With fronting: Självklart kan jag inte hjälpa dig (verb kan stays second, then jag, then inte).