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Questions & Answers about Han går ut utan att säga hej.
Why is it "går ut" and not just "går"?
Swedish often uses a particle to show direction. gå means “to walk,” while gå ut means “to go out (walk out).”
- Han går. = He is walking.
- Han går ut. = He goes out/He’s going out (movement to the outside).
What’s the difference between "ut" and "ute"?
- ut = direction (out, outward movement)
- ute = location (outside, position) Examples:
- Jag går ut. I’m going out. (movement)
- Jag är ute. I’m outside. (location)
Why is it "säga" and not "säger"?
After utan att, Swedish uses the infinitive (dictionary form). säga is the infinitive; säger is present tense.
- utan att säga = without saying Compare: Han säger hej. (He says hello.)
Why do we need "att" here?
In the pattern utan att + infinitive, att is the infinitive marker (“to” in English). Use it before a verb when you mean “without doing X.”
- utan att prata, utan att äta, utan att säga hej
Can I say "utan och säga"?
No. It must be utan att before a verb. och means “and,” not the infinitive “to.”
Can I move "utan att säga hej" to the beginning?
Yes, to emphasize the “without” part:
- Utan att säga hej går han ut. Note the V2 rule: the verb (går) stays in second position after the fronted phrase. Don’t split the particle from the verb; avoid: “Han går … ut” being separated by that phrase.
Can this mean “He is going out” right now?
Yes. Swedish present tense covers both English simple and continuous:
- Han går ut utan att säga hej. = He goes out / He is going out (context decides). It can also describe habits: He leaves without saying hello (as a habit).
Should it be "hej" or "hej då" if he’s leaving?
If you specifically mean “without saying goodbye,” say utan att säga hej då (often written hejdå). utan att säga hej literally means “without saying hello,” which is fine if the point is that he didn’t greet anyone; for farewells, hej då is the natural choice.
Could I use "lämnar" or "åker" instead of "går ut"?
- lämnar = leave (usually with an object): Han lämnar rummet utan att säga hej.
- åker = go/travel by vehicle: Han åker hem. Not used for simply walking out of a room.
- går ut is the most natural for physically walking out. (Colloquial: Han drar utan att säga hej. = He takes off/He splits… informal.)
How do you pronounce the sentence?
Approximate guide:
- Han [hahn]
- går [goor] (long “o” like in “bore”)
- ut [eewt] (Swedish “u” is a rounded “ee”)
- utan [EEW-tan]
- att often reduced to just [a]
- säga [SAY-ya] (the g sounds like y)
- hej [hay] Natural connected speech: [hahn goor eewt EEW-tan a SAY-ya hay]
Do I need a comma before "utan att"?
No comma is needed in standard Swedish:
- Han går ut utan att säga hej. Use commas only for longer insertions or special clarity needs.
Is "Han" my only option? How do I say it gender‑neutrally?
You can use hen for a gender‑neutral subject:
- Hen går ut utan att säga hej. Other pronouns: han (he), hon (she).
What are the main forms of "gå" and "säga"?
- gå (to go/walk): present går, past gick, supine gått
- säga (to say): present säger, past sa/sade, supine sagt
Are there similar direction/location pairs like "ut/ute"?
Yes, very common in Swedish:
- in/inne (in/inside): gå in vs vara inne
- upp/uppe (up/up there)
- ner/nere (down/down there)
- fram/framme (forward/at the front/arrived)
- hem/hemma (homeward/at home)
- bort/borta (away/gone)
Is "utgår" the same as "går ut"?
No. utgår is a different verb (“to be canceled,” “to start from/assume”):
- Mötet utgår. The meeting is canceled.
- Jag utgår från att… I assume that… For physically going out, use går ut, not utgår.
Is "utan att hälsa" the same as "utan att hälsa på"?
No. hälsa = to greet. hälsa på = to visit.
- utan att hälsa = without greeting
- utan att hälsa på = without visiting (someone)