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Hon ska skaffa en ny ordbok i centrum.

Hon ska skaffa en ny ordbok i centrum.
She is going to get a new dictionary in the city center.
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Questions & Answers about Hon ska skaffa en ny ordbok i centrum.

What does the modal verb ska do here? Is it just “will”?

Ska + infinitive expresses planned or intended future, and sometimes obligation. It often corresponds to English “is going to” or “will,” but with a nuance of intention/arrangement.

  • Planned future: Hon ska skaffa… = She plans/intends to get…
  • Obligation/requirement: Du ska vara där kl. 8. = You are supposed to be there at 8.

Compared with kommer att:

  • ska = intention, plan, arrangement, sometimes obligation.
  • kommer att = neutral prediction (“will happen”), often without implying intention.
Why isn’t there an att before skaffa?

Swedish drops att after modal verbs. After ska, vill, kan, måste, etc., you use the bare infinitive:

  • Hon ska skaffa… (not “ska att skaffa”)
  • Hon vill köpa…
  • Hon kan hitta…
Why choose skaffa instead of köpa or få?
  • skaffa = “get/obtain/procure,” a broad, neutral verb. She’ll make sure she gets one (by buying, borrowing, ordering, etc.).
  • köpa = “buy.” Use this if you specifically mean purchase: Hon ska köpa en ny ordbok…
  • få = “get/receive/be allowed to.” Use this if someone gives it to her or she is permitted to have one: Hon ska få en ny ordbok.
Could/should it be reflexive: skaffa sig?

With physical objects, both are possible:

  • skaffa en ny ordbok (most common)
  • skaffa sig en ny ordbok (emphasizes getting one for oneself)

With abstract things (habits, contacts), skaffa sig is preferred: skaffa sig en vana.

Why is it en and not ett before ordbok?

Because ordbok is a common-gender noun (en-word). So:

  • Indefinite singular: en ordbok
  • Definite singular: ordboken
Why is the adjective form ny (and not nytt or nya)?

Adjectives agree with the noun’s gender/number/definiteness:

  • Common-gender, indefinite singular: en ny ordbok
  • Neuter, indefinite singular: ett nytt lexikon
  • Plural or any definite form: nya
    • nya ordböcker
    • den nya ordboken
How do I say “the new dictionary” in Swedish?

Use double definiteness (article + noun suffix) and the plural/definite form of the adjective:

  • den nya ordboken = the new dictionary
  • Plural: de nya ordböckerna = the new dictionaries
Is the word order correct? Why does ska come second?

Yes. Swedish main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb (here the modal ska) comes in the second position.

  • Subject first: Hon
  • Finite verb second: ska
  • Rest follows: skaffa en ny ordbok i centrum

You can front an adverbial and still keep V2:

  • I centrum ska hon skaffa en ny ordbok.
Where would the negation inte go?

After the modal and before the main verb:

  • Hon ska inte skaffa en ny ordbok i centrum.
Why is it i centrum and not på centrum?

For being “in/within” the city center, Swedish uses i: i centrum. The phrase på centrum is not idiomatic for “downtown.” Colloquial alternatives:

  • på stan (very common: “in town”)
  • i innerstan / i innerstaden (inner city)
Should it be i centrum or till centrum?
  • i centrum = location (where the action happens): She will get it in the city center.
  • till centrum = direction (where she’s going): Hon ska till centrum för att skaffa en ny ordbok.
Why is there no article with centrum here?

The fixed locative phrase i centrum refers to the city center as an area, so no article is used. If you mean a specific “center” (e.g., a particular shopping center), you’d use the definite:

  • i centrumet = in the specific center (less common for “downtown,” more for a named center) Note: centrum is neuter: ett centrum – centrumet; you rarely need its plural forms in everyday speech.
Is ordbok one word? How does its plural work?

Yes. Swedish compounds are written as one word: ord + bok → ordbok.

  • Indefinite singular: en ordbok
  • Definite singular: ordboken
  • Indefinite plural: ordböcker
  • Definite plural: ordböckerna The vowel change (o → ö) is from the irregular plural of bok → böcker.
Is the placement of i centrum (after the object) normal?

Yes. A common neutral order is: Subject – Verb – Object – Place (– Time). So:

  • Hon ska skaffa en ny ordbok i centrum sounds natural. You can front place for emphasis: I centrum ska hon skaffa en ny ordbok.
Pronunciation tips for the sentence?
  • Hon: “hoon” (long oo)
  • ska: “ska” (sk as in “skate,” not the Swedish “sj” sound)
  • skaffa: stress on first syllable: “SKA-fa”
  • en: short “e”
  • ny: like “nee” with rounded lips
  • ordbok: “OORD-book”; the “rd” may merge into a retroflex sound in many accents
  • i: “ee”
  • centrum: “SEN-trum” (c before e = s-sound)
Could I use other words for “dictionary,” like lexikon or ordlista?
  • ordbok = dictionary (general, often book-form, but also used broadly)
  • lexikon = dictionary/encyclopedic dictionary; also common for “dictionary” (esp. larger or digital)
  • ordlista = word list/glossary (typically shorter, less detailed)

All would fit grammatically: en ny ordbok/ett nytt lexikon/en ny ordlista.