Learn Hardcore Swedish: Min bror försöker reparera den gamla teven själv. - My brother is trying to repair the old TV himself.

Min bror = my brother
You cannot say min broren – that would be like saying my the brother.
You also don’t add den in front: den min bror is wrong for the same reason.

Pattern:

en bror – a brother (indefinite)
brodern – the brother (definite)
min bror – my brother (possessive; no -en ending, no article)

So: with a possessive, use the indefinite form of the noun: min bror, not min brodern.

Why is it min and not mitt or mina?

Swedish possessive pronouns agree with the noun’s gender and number:

min = with en-words, singular
- min bror (en bror)
mitt = with ett-words, singular
- mitt hus (ett hus)
mina = with all plurals
- mina bröder (my brothers)
- mina hus (my houses)

Since bror is an en-word in singular, we use min bror.

Why is it försöker reparera and not försöker reparerar?

After verbs like försöka (to try), vilja (to want), kunna (to be able to), the next verb normally appears in the infinitive form, without -r.

försöker reparera = tries to repair
- reparera (infinitive)
reparerar is the present tense (repairs / is repairing) and would be wrong here.

Compare:

Han reparerar teven. – He is repairing the TV. (only one verb)
Han försöker reparera teven. – He is trying to repair the TV. (helper verb + infinitive)

So: after försöker, use reparera, not reparerar.

Why is there no att: why försöker reparera and not försöker att reparera?

Both are possible in Swedish, but after certain “helper” verbs, att is often left out in modern, everyday language.

Common verbs that often drop att before an infinitive:

kan (can)
vill (want to)
ska (shall / going to)
måste (must)
brukar (usually)
försöker (try to)

So:

Min bror försöker reparera den gamla teven själv.
Min bror försöker att reparera den gamla teven själv. (also acceptable, a bit more formal or emphatic)

Learners are usually taught the version without att here: försöker reparera.

How is the verb försöka conjugated? Why försöker here?

Försöka is the infinitive form (to try). Swedish verbs don’t change for person (I/you/he), only for tense.

Basic forms:

Infinitive: (att) försöka – to try
Present: försöker – try / tries / is trying
Past: försökte – tried
Supine: försökt – used with har/hade
- har försökt – has tried
Imperative: försök! – try!

In Min bror försöker…, we need the present tense, so försöker.

Why is it den gamla teven and not det gamla teven?

The word teve (or tv) is an en-word (common gender) in Swedish.

en teve / en tv – a TV
teven / tv:n – the TV

The demonstrative article den is used with en-words, while det is used with ett-words:

den
- en-word: den bilen, den stolen, den teven
det
- ett-word: det huset, det bordet

So the correct form is den gamla teven, not det gamla teven.

Why do we say den gamla teven and not just gamla teven?

When an adjective comes before a definite noun, Swedish uses double definiteness:

A definite article (den/det/de)
The definite ending on the noun (-en / -et / -na)

So:

teven – the TV (definite noun only)
den gamla teven – the old TV
- den (definite article)
- gamla (adjective)
- teven (definite form of the noun)

You cannot say:

gamla teven (missing den) – ungrammatical
den gammal teve (missing -en ending and wrong adjective form) – also wrong

Correct patterns:

en gammal teve – an old TV (indefinite)
den gamla teven – the old TV (definite, with adjective)

Why is the adjective gamla and not gammal in den gamla teven?

Adjectives in Swedish change form depending on definiteness and number.

For gammal (old):

Indefinite singular:
- en gammal teve
- ett gammalt hus
Plural (indefinite and definite):
- gamla tv-apparater
Definite singular with den/det:
- den gamla teven
- det gamla huset

Rule here:

When the noun is definite and has den/det/de in front, the adjective takes the -a form: gamla.

So we must say den gamla teven, not den gammal teve.

What’s the difference between teve, tv, teven, and tv:n?

They are just different spellings/forms of the same thing:

teve – a spelled-out version of the abbreviation TV
- en teve – a TV
- teven – the TV
tv – the more common modern spelling
- en tv – a TV
- tv:n – the TV (the :n marks the definite ending attached to an abbreviation)

In your sentence, teven is the definite form: den gamla teven = the old TV.

You might also see:

den gamla tv:n – also correct, same meaning.

What does själv do here, and why is it at the end: teven själv?

Själv means “himself / herself / itself / themselves” or “on one’s own”, depending on context.

In Min bror försöker reparera den gamla teven själv, själv refers back to min bror and means:

My brother is trying to repair the old TV *himself (without help).*

Position:

Putting själv at the end is very natural and common:
- Min bror försöker reparera den gamla teven själv.

You can also move it for different emphasis:

Min bror försöker själv reparera den gamla teven.
This emphasizes that he is the one trying (as opposed to someone else).

But the most neutral choice is where you have it: at the end.

Why don’t we say sig själv instead of just själv?

Sig själv is used in more clearly reflexive situations, often when the object is the same person as the subject.

For example:

Han skadade sig själv. – He injured himself.
Hon ser sig själv i spegeln. – She sees herself in the mirror.

In your sentence, the object is teven, not the brother:

reparera den gamla teven – repair the old TV

So we’re not saying that he is repairing himself; we’re saying he is repairing the TV by himself / on his own. In this “on one’s own” meaning, själv is normally used without sig:

Min bror gör det själv. – My brother does it himself / on his own.
Min bror försöker reparera den gamla teven själv.

Adding sig here would be wrong, because he is not the object of reparera.