Learn Hardcore Swedish: Hon sparar alltid kvittot i plånboken. - She always saves the receipt in the wallet.

In a main clause, Swedish puts the finite verb in second position (V2), and sentence adverbs like alltid, inte, ofta usually come right after that verb: Hon (S) sparar (V) alltid (Adv) kvittot (Obj) i plånboken (Place). In a subordinate clause, the adverb comes before the verb: ...att hon alltid sparar kvittot i plånboken.

Does i plånboken mean “in her wallet”? Why is there no possessive like “her”?

Swedish often uses the definite form for body parts and personal belongings when ownership is obvious, so i plånboken is natural and usually understood as “in her wallet” here. If you need to be explicit:

i sin plånbok = in her own wallet (refers back to the subject)
i hennes plånbok = in another woman’s wallet (not the subject) All three are possible; i plånboken is the most idiomatic when context makes the owner clear.

Why are both kvittot and plånboken definite here? Could I make them indefinite?

They’re definite because we’re talking about a specific receipt and a specific wallet. Using indefinites would sound odd here:

Natural: Hon sparar alltid kvittot i plånboken.
Odd: Hon sparar alltid ett kvitto i en plånbok. (a receipt in a wallet, unspecified) If you mean “receipts in general,” use the plural: Hon sparar alltid kvitton.

Is kvitto an ett-word and plånbok an en-word?

Yes:

ett kvitto → (def. sing.) kvittot → (indef. pl.) kvitton → (def. pl.) kvittona
en plånbok → (def. sing.) plånboken → (indef. pl.) plånböcker → (def. pl.) plånböckerna

Why is it kvittot, not kvittotet?

For ett-nouns ending in a vowel, definite singular adds just -t:

ett kvitto → kvittot If an ett-noun ends in a consonant, you add -et:
ett hus → huset Note: ett äpple → äpplet (the base ends in -e; adding -t gives -et in spelling).

Can I use plural to mean she saves receipts in general?

Yes. Use the indefinite plural:

Hon sparar alltid kvitton. = She always saves receipts (as a habit, in general).

What exactly does spara mean here? Is it the same verb as “save money” or “save a file”?

Yes, spara covers all of these:

keep/retain: spara kvittot (keep the receipt)
save money: spara pengar
save a file: spara (ner) en fil Don’t say spara på kvittot; spara på means “use sparingly” (e.g., spara på elen = save electricity).

Could I say lägger or stoppar instead of sparar?

You can, but the focus shifts:

lägger/stoppar (ner/in) kvittot i plånboken describes the physical act of putting it there.
sparar kvittot emphasizes keeping it (the intention to retain it). You can combine them: Hon lägger kvittot i plånboken för att spara det.

How do I negate this? Where does inte go with alltid?

Basic negation: Hon sparar inte kvittot i plånboken.
“Not always”: Hon sparar inte alltid kvittot i plånboken. (place inte before alltid)
“Never”: Hon sparar aldrig kvittot i plånboken. Avoid: ✗ Hon sparar kvittot inte i plånboken (unnatural).

How do I form a yes/no question or a wh-question from this?

Yes/no: invert subject and verb (V2 still applies): Sparar hon alltid kvittot i plånboken?
Wh-questions:
- Place: Var sparar hon kvittot? – I plånboken.
- Reason: Varför sparar hon alltid kvittot i plånboken?

Can I front other parts for emphasis?

Yes, Swedish allows topicalization; the verb stays in second position:

Kvittot sparar hon alltid i plånboken.
I plånboken sparar hon alltid kvittot.
Alltid sparar hon kvittot i plånboken. (emphasizes “always”)

Why is it i plånboken and not på plånboken?

Use i for being inside a container and på for being on a surface or “at” a place:

i plånboken, i fickan, i väskan
på bordet, på bussen, på banken (at the bank)

If I replace kvittot with a pronoun, where does it go relative to alltid/inte?

With short object pronouns, the default is to place the pronoun before the sentence adverb:

Hon sparar det alltid i plånboken.
Hon sparar det inte i plånboken. Putting it after the adverb is possible but often contrastive: Hon sparar alltid det (kvittot), not another one.

Any quick pronunciation tips for the key words?

hon: [hʊn] (u like “put”)
sparar: [ˈspɑːrar] (long a as in “spa”)
alltid: [ˈalːtiːd] (double l; final d is pronounced)
kvittot: [ˈkvɪtːʊt] (short i; long t; final o like “foot”)
plånboken: [ˈplɔːnˌbuːkɛn] (å ≈ “aw”/long o; long u in bok)

What’s the difference between alltid and hela tiden?

alltid = always (invariably, on every occasion)
hela tiden = all the time/constantly (continuously). They’re not interchangeable in every context.

Is alltid one word? I’ve seen all tid too.

alltid (one word) = always.
all tid (two words) literally “all time,” used in phrases like all tid är dyrbar (“all time is precious”). For “all the time” meaning “constantly,” use hela tiden.