Breakdown of De fortsätter att diskutera uppgifterna efter lunchen.
att
to
lunchen
the lunch
efter
after
de
they
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 ? What’s the difference?