Publiken tittar på scenen.

The audience is looking at the stage.

Breakdown of Publiken tittar på scenen.

• titta på: to look at
• scenen: the stage
• publiken: the audience

Questions & Answers about Publiken tittar på scenen.

Why is it publiken and not publik?

In Swedish, the definite form (like “the audience”) is usually made by adding an ending instead of using a separate word like “the”.

• publik = an audience / audience (in general)
• publiken = the audience

So publiken means “the audience”, with -en marking the definite form of this en-word (en publik → publiken).

Is publiken grammatically singular or plural?

Grammatically, publiken is singular. That’s why the verb is tittar (present singular form, which is the same as plural in Swedish).

Even though “the audience” refers to many people in meaning, it behaves like one group grammatically:

• Publiken tittar. – The audience is watching.
• If you wanted to emphasize individuals, you could use personer / åskådare (people / spectators) in the plural:
  
  • Åskådarna tittar på scenen. – The spectators are watching the stage.

What is the difference between titta and se?

Both relate to seeing, but there’s a nuance:

• titta (på) ≈ to look (at) — more active, intentional
• se (på) ≈ to see / to watch — a bit more neutral, can be more passive

In this sentence:

• Publiken tittar på scenen. – The audience is looking at the stage.

You could also say:

• Publiken ser på scenen.

That’s understandable, but titta på is more natural for the idea of actively looking at something in front of you.

Why do we need på after tittar?

In Swedish, titta almost always takes the preposition på when you say what you are looking at.

• titta på något – look at something
  
  • titta på scenen – look at the stage
  • titta på tv – watch TV
  • titta på mig – look at me

Without på, titta usually means just “to look” in general, not at anything specific:

• Titta! – Look! (no object mentioned)

What exactly does på scenen mean here – at the stage or on the stage?

Here, på scenen is best understood as:

• “at the stage” / “towards the stage” / “at what’s happening on the stage”

The audience is not on the stage; they’re looking at it. The Swedish preposition på is very broad and often covers what English splits into on, at, onto, about, etc.

Depending on context, på scenen can also mean “on the stage”:

• Skådespelarna står på scenen. – The actors are standing on the stage.

So the meaning depends on who is on which side of the stage. In your sentence, the subject is publiken (the audience), so på scenen is “at the stage / toward the stage.”

Could I say Publiken tittar mot scenen instead? What is the difference between på and mot here?

Yes, you can say:

• Publiken tittar mot scenen.

Nuance:

• titta på scenen – they are actually looking at the stage; their attention is on it.
• titta mot scenen – they are looking in the direction of the stage; it emphasizes direction more than focus.

So på is the normal, default choice for “look at the stage.”
mot sounds a bit more descriptive or stylistic, focusing on where they are facing.

Why is it scenen and not scen?

Same reason as publiken: Swedish uses endings for definiteness.

• en scen – a stage
• scenen – the stage

So:

• Publiken tittar på scen. – The audience is looking at a stage. (very unusual, sounds wrong in normal context)
• Publiken tittar på scenen. – The audience is looking at the stage. (natural)

In most real situations, both speaker and listener know which stage is meant, so the definite form scenen is expected.

What are the basic forms of scenen?

Scen is an en-word (common gender). Its main forms:

• Indefinite singular: en scen – a stage
• Definite singular: scenen – the stage
• Indefinite plural: scener – stages
• Definite plural: scenerna – the stages

Example sentences:

• Det finns en scen här. – There is a stage here.
• Publiken tittar på scenen. – The audience is looking at the stage.
• Det finns tre scener. – There are three stages.
• Publiken tittar på scenerna. – The audience is looking at the stages.

What tense is tittar, and how would I say it in the past?

tittar is the present tense of titta.

Basic forms of titta:

• infinitive: att titta – to look
• present: tittar – look / is looking / are looking
• past (preterite): tittade – looked
• supine (used with har): tittat – has/have looked

So:

• Publiken tittar på scenen. – The audience is looking at the stage.
• Publiken tittade på scenen. – The audience looked at the stage.
• Publiken har tittat på scenen. – The audience has looked at the stage.

Could I change the word order to På scenen tittar publiken?

Yes, that is grammatically correct. Swedish allows fronting another element to the first position in the sentence.

• Publiken tittar på scenen. – neutral, most typical order
• På scenen tittar publiken. – emphasizes på scenen (maybe contrasting with somewhere else)

Both are correct; the second is just more marked or stylistic.

Does scenen only mean a physical stage, or can it also mean a “scene” in a movie or book?

scen can mean both:

1. A physical stage in a theater, concert hall, etc.

   • Hon står på scenen. – She is standing on the stage.

2. A scene in a movie, play, or book.

   • Den här scenen är väldigt dramatisk. – This scene is very dramatic.

In Publiken tittar på scenen, most readers will think of a physical stage in a theater or concert, because of the word publiken.
If you wanted to clearly talk about a scene in a film/play, you would usually add more context:

• De tittar på scenen i filmen. – They are watching the scene in the movie.