Vi tittar på nyheterna tillsammans.

We watch the news together.

Breakdown of Vi tittar på nyheterna tillsammans.

• vi: we
• tillsammans: together
• titta på: to watch
• nyheterna: the news

Questions & Answers about Vi tittar på nyheterna tillsammans.

Why is it tittar på and not just tittar?

In Swedish, titta needs the preposition på when you mean “to watch” or “to look at.” So you say titta på TV, titta på nyheterna, titta på honom. Without på, titta just means “to look” intransitively (not at anything specific). Other prepositions with titta change the meaning, e.g., titta i (look in/inside a book, bag).

Does tittar mean “watch” or “are watching”?

Both. Swedish present tense covers both simple and progressive meanings. Vi tittar på nyheterna can mean “we watch the news (regularly)” or “we are watching the news (right now).” Add time words to clarify:

• Habit: Vi brukar titta på nyheterna.
• Right now: Vi tittar på nyheterna just nu.

Can I use se or kolla instead of titta?

Yes:

• se (på) = “see/watch,” a bit more neutral/formal. You can say Vi ser nyheterna or Vi ser på nyheterna.
• kolla (på) = “check out/watch,” informal/colloquial: Vi kollar på nyheterna.
• Avoid glo (på) unless you want “gawk/stare” (it’s pejorative).

Why is it nyheterna and not nyheter?

Nyheterna is the definite plural (“the news”), which is what you normally mean when you talk about watching the newscast. Nyheter is indefinite plural (“news items” in general) and sounds odd here unless you mean news in a very general sense.

• a news item: en nyhet
• the news item: nyheten
• news (plural): nyheter
• the news (broadcast): nyheterna

But in English “news” is uncountable. Why is Swedish plural?

Swedish treats “news” as “new things” (plural) — nyheter. When referring to the broadcast, it’s the definite plural nyheterna (“the news [program]”).

Could I instead say nyhetssändningen?

Yes. Vi tittar på nyhetssändningen means “we watch the news broadcast.” It narrows the meaning to the specific broadcast. Nyheterna is the everyday, idiomatic choice for “the news.”

Can I drop på with se? For example, Vi ser nyheterna?

Yes. With se, the på is often optional before concrete audiovisual content:

• Vi ser nyheterna = Vi ser på nyheterna (both acceptable). With titta, you must keep på: ✅ titta på, ❌ titta nyheterna.

Where can I put tillsammans? Is the word order fixed?

You have options, but keep the verb in second position in main clauses (the V2 rule):

• Neutral: Vi tittar på nyheterna tillsammans.
• Emphasis on togetherness: Vi tittar tillsammans på nyheterna.
• Fronted adverb: Tillsammans tittar vi på nyheterna. (Note verb-second: tittar comes right after Tillsammans.)

Is tillsammans necessary? Any synonyms?

It’s optional; it just emphasizes “together.” A common colloquial synonym is ihop:

• Vi tittar på nyheterna ihop. To specify with whom, use tillsammans med:
• Vi tittar på nyheterna tillsammans med barnen.

If it’s radio rather than TV/video, do I still use titta?

No. Use lyssna på for audio:

• Vi lyssnar på nyheterna (på radion).

How do I say “We usually watch the news together”?

Use brukar for habitual actions:

• Vi brukar titta på nyheterna tillsammans.

Can Swedish present tense refer to future time?

Yes. Present + a time expression often refers to the near future:

• Vi tittar på nyheterna i kväll. = “We’re watching the news tonight.” For plans/intentions, you can also use ska:
• Vi ska titta på nyheterna tillsammans.

Any quick pronunciation tips for the sentence?

• tittar: double tt makes a long /t/ sound; stress on the first syllable: TI-ttar.
• på: long vowel, like “poo” without the final glide.
• nyheterna: primary stress on the first syllable: NY-he-; many speakers make r+n a retroflex n in -terna.
• tillsammans: stress on the second syllable: til-SAM-mans; double mm = long /m/. Don’t worry about dialect variation; being clear with stress and long consonants helps most.

Why don’t we say something like oss (“us”) with tillsammans?

Because tillsammans already means “together (with each other)” when the subject is plural. You only add tillsammans med + [someone] if you want to include others:

• Vi tittar på nyheterna tillsammans.
• Vi tittar på nyheterna tillsammans med våra grannar.

How would I refer back to “the news” with a pronoun?

Since nyheterna is plural, the object pronoun is dem (spoken as dom):

• Vi tittar på dem (“We watch them”). For places/sources, you’d say:
• Jag såg det på nyheterna. (“I saw it on the news.”)