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De fortsätter att diskutera uppgifterna efter lunchen.

De fortsätter att diskutera uppgifterna efter lunchen.
They continue to discuss the tasks after lunch.

Breakdown of De fortsätter att diskutera uppgifterna efter lunchen.

att
to
lunchen
the lunch
efter
after
de
they
fortsätta
to continue
diskutera
to discuss
uppgiften
the task
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Questions & Answers about De fortsätter att diskutera uppgifterna efter lunchen.

Why is att used before diskutera, and can it be omitted?
Att marks the infinitive (to + verb). After verbs like fortsätta (continue), it’s standard to use att: De fortsätter att diskutera .... In everyday Swedish, att can be dropped with many verbs of start/stop/continue, so De fortsätter diskutera ... is also correct. Using att is a bit more formal/neutral in writing; omitting it sounds a bit more colloquial. The meaning is the same here.
Why not say fortsätter diskuterar?
Swedish normally allows only one finite verb per clause. Fortsätter is the finite verb, so the next verb must be in the infinitive: att diskutera (or just diskutera). Saying fortsätter diskuterar would be two finite verbs in a row, which is ungrammatical.
Can I write fortsätter och diskutera?
In careful/standard writing, use att, not och, after fortsätta: fortsätter att diskutera. You will hear fortsätter och diskutera in speech, but many consider it non‑standard in writing. Note that Swedish does have a progressive pattern with och after position verbs: De sitter och diskuterar, which is idiomatic and means they are in the act of discussing.
Why is it efter lunchen (definite) and not efter lunch? What’s the difference?
  • Efter lunchen refers to a specific lunch (e.g., today’s lunch or one already known in the context).
  • Efter lunch is more generic and time‑of‑day like “after lunch(time)/after lunch is over.” Both are fine; choose based on whether you mean a specific lunch or the general time period.
Where can I place efter lunchen in the sentence?
  • Common: at the end: De fortsätter att diskutera uppgifterna efter lunchen.
  • Fronted (V2 rule: finite verb in second position): Efter lunchen fortsätter de att diskutera uppgifterna.
  • Middle is possible but heavier: De fortsätter efter lunchen att diskutera uppgifterna. The first two are more natural.
How do I negate this? Where does inte go?
  • Regular negation of continuing: De fortsätter inte att diskutera uppgifterna efter lunchen. (They do not continue.)
  • Negation inside the activity: De fortsätter att inte diskutera uppgifterna. (They continue not to discuss the tasks.) The placement changes the scope of the negation.
What’s the deal with de, dem, and dom?
  • De = subject form (they): De fortsätter ...
  • Dem = object form (them): Jag såg dem.
  • Both are pronounced like dom in almost all everyday speech. In standard writing, use de/dem. In informal writing, dom is increasingly seen, but not in formal contexts.
Can I say diskutera om here?
Normally, no. Use diskutera directly with its object: diskutera uppgifterna. Use diskutera om only with the meaning “discuss whether”: Vi diskuterade om vi skulle åka (We discussed whether we should go). Don’t say diskutera om uppgifterna when you mean “discuss the tasks.”
Is diskutera different from prata om or tala om?
Yes. Diskutera suggests a more structured, analytical discussion. Prata om/tala om means “talk about,” which is more informal and general. All can fit depending on tone: De fortsätter att prata om uppgifterna is perfectly natural but less formal than diskutera.
Why is it uppgifterna (definite plural)? Could it be uppgifter?
  • Uppgifterna = the tasks (known/specific to speaker and listener).
  • Uppgifter = tasks (some tasks, not specifically identified). Swedish uses the definite ending on the noun itself to mark “the.”
Why not de uppgifterna to mean “the tasks”?
In Swedish, the base way to say “the tasks” is just the noun with the definite ending: uppgifterna. If you add de before it, you get a demonstrative meaning: de uppgifterna = “those tasks.” You also use the preposed article with adjectives: de svåra uppgifterna = “the difficult tasks.”
How do I conjugate fortsätta?
  • Infinitive: fortsätta
  • Present: fortsätter
  • Past (preterite): fortsatte
  • Supine (used with har/hade): fortsatt Examples: De fortsatte att diskutera ...; De har fortsatt att diskutera ...
What are the forms of uppgift?
  • Singular: en uppgift, definite: uppgiften
  • Plural: uppgifter, definite plural: uppgifterna Note that uppgifter can also mean “reports/claims” in the sense of information, depending on context.
How would I say this in the past or with perfect tenses?
  • Past: Efter lunchen fortsatte de att diskutera uppgifterna.
  • Present perfect: De har fortsatt att diskutera uppgifterna efter lunchen.
  • Past perfect: De hade fortsatt att diskutera uppgifterna efter lunchen.
How do I express “they are in the middle of discussing the tasks,” not just “continue to discuss”?

Use the progressive construction hålla på att: De håller på att diskutera uppgifterna.
Difference: fortsätter att diskutera = they keep discussing (it goes on from before); håller på att diskutera = they are in the midst of it right now.

Can I use efteråt instead of efter?
  • Efter needs a noun: efter lunchen.
  • Efteråt stands alone as an adverb: De fortsatte att diskutera uppgifterna efteråt. Both are fine, but they’re not interchangeable in form: one takes an object, the other doesn’t.