Learn Hardcore Swedish: När det regnar tar jag alltid mitt paraply och min regnjacka. - When it rains I always take my umbrella and my rain jacket.

Swedish has the V2 rule: in a main clause, the finite verb must be in second position. The fronted adverbial När det regnar takes the first slot, so the verb tar comes second and the subject jag follows: När det regnar tar jag ... If you start with the subject, it’s Jag tar ...

Do I need a comma after När det regnar?

No. Modern Swedish usually omits a comma between a short fronted subordinate clause and the main clause: När det regnar tar jag ... A comma can be added for emphasis or if the first clause is long, but it’s optional and less common.

Why use när and not om?

När expresses time (“when/whenever”). Om expresses condition (“if”). Your sentence states what you do whenever it rains, so när is the natural choice. Om det regnar would make it conditional: “if it rains.”

What is the function of det in det regnar?

It’s a dummy subject. Weather expressions use impersonal det: det regnar, det snöar, det blåser, det är kallt.

Where does the adverb alltid go? Could I say tar alltid jag?

Place frequency/stance adverbs like alltid, ofta, inte after the finite verb and (usually) after the subject:

Jag tar alltid mitt paraply ...
När det regnar tar jag alltid mitt paraply ... “Tar alltid jag ...” is marked/poetic; use tar jag alltid in normal prose.

Why mitt paraply but min regnjacka?

The possessive agrees with the noun’s gender/number:

min = common gender (en-word): min regnjacka (en jacka)
mitt = neuter (ett-word): mitt paraply (ett paraply)
mina = plural: mina paraplyer, mina regnjackor

Can I drop the second possessive and say mitt paraply och regnjacka?

Better not here. The nouns have different genders, so the possessive forms differ (mitt vs min). Swedish normally repeats the possessive: mitt paraply och min regnjacka. If both nouns had the same gender, omission is sometimes possible, but repetition is clearer and more idiomatic.

Why not min regnjackan or mitt paraplyet?

You don’t combine a possessive with the definite ending. Use the indefinite base form after a possessive:

Correct: min regnjacka, mitt paraply, min nya regnjacka
Incorrect: min regnjackan, mitt paraplyet, min nya regnjackan Without a possessive you can use the definite: regnjackan, paraplyet, or with an adjective: den nya regnjackan.

Is plain tar enough, or should I say tar med (mig)?

All work, with nuances:

tar mitt paraply = take/pick up (often understood as “take along”).
tar med mig mitt paraply / har med mig mitt paraply = explicitly “take/bring along.”
For clothing, if you mean “put on,” use tar på mig: När det regnar tar jag på mig min regnjacka (“I put on my rain jacket”).

Why is it När det regnar (subject before verb) and not När regnar det?

När det regnar is a subordinate clause, so it keeps normal subject–verb order (det regnar). När regnar det? is a direct question and therefore inverts the subject and verb.

What does the compound regnjacka show about Swedish word formation?

Swedish writes compounds as one word. regn (rain) + jacka (jacket) → regnjacka. Similar patterns: regnbyxor (rain pants), vinterjacka (winter jacket).

Any pronunciation tips for tricky parts?

När: ä like the vowel in “air” (long: [nɛːr]).
regnar: gn often sounds like [ŋn] (“re-ng-nar”).
paraply: stress the last syllable; y is the front rounded vowel [y] (like German ü).
regnjacka: j = English y; again gn ≈ [ŋn].

What are the principal parts of the verb ta?

Infinitive ta, present tar, past tog, supine tagit, imperative ta! (Older/formal infinitive: taga.)

Can I add så or då after the när-clause?

Yes, common in speech: När det regnar, så/då tar jag alltid ... It adds a slight “then” emphasis. In neutral writing you usually omit it: När det regnar tar jag alltid ...

Can I place the när-clause at the end?

Yes: Jag tar alltid mitt paraply och min regnjacka när det regnar. When the subject starts the main clause, you keep normal subject–verb order (Jag tar ...).