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Questions & Answers about Vi pratar om kronan.
Does pratar mean “talk” or “are talking”?
Both. Swedish present tense covers both simple and progressive aspects, so Vi pratar = “We talk” or “We are talking.” If you really want to emphasize the ongoing nature, you can say: Vi håller på och pratar om kronan (nu).
Do Swedish verbs change with the subject (I/you/we etc.)?
No. Verbs don’t conjugate for person or number in modern Swedish. It’s jag/du/han/hon/vi/ni/de pratar in all cases.
Why is the preposition om used? Could I use something else?
With verbs like prata and tala, Swedish uses om to mean “about.” So prata om X = “talk about X.” Don’t use av here. Other options exist in certain registers (e.g., angående = “regarding”), but for normal speech om is the default.
Why is it kronan and not krona?
Kronan is the definite singular (“the krona/crown”). Krona is indefinite (“a krona/crown”). Swedish marks definiteness with a suffix on the noun.
What’s the gender and the main forms of krona?
It’s a common-gender (en-) word:
- Indefinite singular: en krona
- Definite singular: kronan
- Indefinite plural: kronor
- Definite plural: kronorna
How would I say “We’re talking about crowns (plural)”?
Vi pratar om kronor.
Do I need den before a definite noun here (like den kronan)?
No. With a bare noun you use only the suffix: kronan. You add the separate article when an adjective is present (the “double definiteness” rule): den svenska kronan = “the Swedish krona.”
Should kronan be capitalized when it means the Swedish currency?
No. It’s normally lowercase (kronan). You’d capitalize only in proper names or official titles.
What’s the difference between pratar, talar, snackar, and diskuterar?
- pratar: neutral, everyday “talk.”
- talar: a bit more formal/literary.
- snackar: informal/colloquial “chat.”
- diskuterar: “discuss” (more analytical). Standard Swedish prefers direct object: diskuterar kronan (not strictly needed but more formal than diskuterar om kronan, which many still say).
Can I change the word order, like fronting the topic?
Yes. Swedish main clauses are V2 (the finite verb is in second position). You can say:
- Vi pratar om kronan. (neutral)
- Idag pratar vi om kronan. (fronted time)
- Om kronan pratar vi. (fronted topic, sounds emphatic/formal)
How do I pronounce the sentence?
Approximate IPA: Vi [viː] pratar [ˈprɑːtar] om [ɔm] kronan [ˈkruːnan]. Stresses: PRÅ‑tar, KROO‑nan. Note the long vowel in kron‑ (Swedish o here sounds like English “oo”).
Does om ever mean anything else?
Yes:
- “if/whether”: Om det regnar… (“If it rains…”)
- “in (time)”: om en timme (“in an hour”)
- part of fixed expressions: om igen (“again”).
Here, with prata, it means “about.”
What other prepositions go with prata?
- prata om = talk about
- prata med = talk with/to (a person)
- prata i telefon = talk on the phone
- prata på = keep on talking (colloquial, “go on and on”)
How do I say “We’re talking about the Swedish krona” correctly?
Vi pratar om den svenska kronan. (Double definiteness because an adjective is present.)
Could I use kring, angående, or rörande instead of om?
- om is the normal, all-purpose choice in speech.
- angående / rörande ≈ “regarding/concerning,” more formal/written.
- kring literally “around”; with “discuss” you’ll see diskutera kring, but with prata, om is better.
Is there a difference between Vi pratar om kronan and Det handlar om kronan?
Yes. Vi pratar om… = “We are talking about…”. Det handlar om… = “It is about/It concerns…,” used to state what something (a text, meeting, topic) is about.
How do I make it a yes/no question: “Are we talking about the krona?”
Invert subject and verb: Pratar vi om kronan? (You can also add väl for confirmation: Pratar vi väl om kronan?)
How do I negate it?
Place inte after the finite verb: Vi pratar inte om kronan. In a yes/no question: Pratar vi inte om kronan?
How do I refer back to kronan with a pronoun?
Use den (common gender): Vi pratar om den.