Learn Hardcore Swedish: Det regnar, men vi går till parken ändå. - It is raining, but we are going to the park anyway.

In Swedish, weather verbs require a dummy subject. Det is an expletive pronoun (it doesn’t refer to anything specific) used to satisfy the subject slot: Det regnar, Det snöar, Det blåser, Det är kallt. You can’t drop it in a full sentence; Regnar by itself isn’t a normal sentence.

Why is regnar in the simple present when English uses a progressive form?

Swedish doesn’t have a special progressive tense like English. The simple present typically covers ongoing actions: Det regnar means “It is raining (now).” You don’t say Det är regnande. If you need extra emphasis on the ongoing nature, you might add an adverb like just nu (right now), but it’s not required.

Why is there a comma before men?

Swedish generally puts a comma between two independent main clauses joined by men. Here, both parts are full clauses: Det regnar and vi går till parken ändå, so , men is standard in writing.

Do we need both men and ändå? What does ändå add?

Men means “but” and introduces contrast. Ändå means “anyway/still/nevertheless” and highlights that the second clause happens despite the first. Without ändå, the sentence is fine but less emphatic: Det regnar, men vi går till parken. With ändå, you underline the concession: we’re going in spite of the rain.

Where can ändå go in the sentence? Does the position change the nuance?

Common placements:

Midfield: … vi går ändå till parken. (neutral; very common)
End position: … vi går till parken ändå. (natural; often adds slight emphasis on the outcome)
Fronted: Ändå går vi till parken. (strong concessive emphasis: nevertheless, we’re going)

All are correct; choose for rhythm and emphasis.

Does gå mean “go” or “walk”?

Gå primarily means “to walk.” English often uses “go” generically, but Swedish distinguishes:

gå till parken = walk to the park
åka till parken = go/travel to the park (by vehicle) If you mean you’ll get there by bus/car, use åka or something like ta bussen.

Why till parken and not i parken? What’s the difference?

till marks movement toward a destination: gå/åka till parken = go to the park.
i marks location: vara/gå i parken = be/walk in the park. So your sentence is about going there; once there, you’re i parken.

Why parken and not park? How does the definite form work?

Swedish typically marks definiteness with a suffix. en park = a park (indefinite), parken = the park (definite). Basic forms:

Singular: en park / parken
Plural: parker / parkerna Your sentence refers to a specific park, hence parken.

Where would the negation inte go, especially with ändå?

Swedish places sentence adverbs (like inte, ändå) in the middle field after the finite verb:

… vi går inte till parken. = we’re not going to the park. With both words, placement changes meaning:
… vi går ändå inte till parken. = in spite of that, we still aren’t going to the park.
… vi går inte till parken ändå. = we’re not going to the park anyway (implies it wouldn’t happen regardless). Both are grammatical; choose the one that matches your meaning.

Could we express the same idea with other words like även om, trots att, or fast?

Yes:

Även om det regnar går vi till parken. = Even if/though it’s raining, we’re going to the park.
Trots att det regnar går vi till parken. = Despite the fact that it’s raining, we’re going to the park.
Trots regnet går vi till parken. (with the preposition trots
- noun)
Det regnar, fast vi går till parken ändå. (fast is a more colloquial “but/though.”) These are all natural, with slight differences in formality and structure.

Can Swedish present tense refer to the (near) future here?

Yes. Swedish present often covers planned or scheduled future actions, especially when context makes it clear: Vi går till parken (i eftermiddag). You can also use:

Vi ska gå till parken. (intention/plan)
Vi kommer att gå till parken. (neutral prediction)

Is Det regnar ute also correct?

Yes, it’s common in speech and informal writing. It’s a bit redundant (rain happens outside by default), but perfectly natural: Det regnar ute = it’s raining outside.

Any pronunciation tips for the words in this sentence?

Det: often pronounced like [deː] or [de]; the final -t is usually silent before a consonant.
regnar: [ˈreŋnar]; the gn cluster is pronounced [ŋn] (like the ng in English singing + n).
men: [mɛn].
vi: [viː].
går: [goːr]; å is a long [oː].
till: [tɪl].
parken: [ˈparkɛn].
ändå: [ɛnˈdoː]; ä is [ɛ], å is [oː]. Stress each content word on its first syllable, except ändå, which is stressed on the second syllable.

Is there anything tricky about spelling, especially ändå?

Yes:

ändå must have ä and å. Writing anda, enda, or ända changes the meaning:
- ända = butt/end, enda = only/sole, ändå = anyway/nevertheless.
Don’t confuse men (but) with män (men, plural of man).

Could we drop till like in English and say vi går parken?

No. Swedish needs the preposition to mark direction. Use till for going to a place: vi går till parken. Without till, vi går i parken means you’re walking around inside the park.