Gruppen tränar tillsammans på kvällen.

The group exercises together in the evening.

Breakdown of Gruppen tränar tillsammans på kvällen.

• tillsammans: together
• träna: to exercise
• kvällen: the evening
• på: in
• gruppen: the band

Questions & Answers about Gruppen tränar tillsammans på kvällen.

Why is there no separate word for the in Gruppen?

Swedish usually attaches the definite article to the end of the noun instead of putting a separate word before it.

• grupp = group
• gruppen = the group (grupp + -en)

So Gruppen already contains the meaning the group, and you don’t add another word for the.

Is Gruppen grammatically singular or plural, and how does that affect tränar?

Gruppen is grammatically singular: en grupp (one group), gruppen (the group).

• Even though a group contains many people, it is treated as one thing in Swedish.
• The present tense verb tränar is the same for all persons (I/you/he/they), so you don’t see any visible singular/plural agreement in the form, but you should still think of gruppen as singular.

What tense is tränar, and how do I translate it to English?

Tränar is the present tense of att träna (to train/exercise/practise).

Depending on context, it can correspond to more than one English form:

• Gruppen tränar tillsammans på kvällen.
  = The group trains together in the evening. (habitual)
  = The group is training together in the evening. (ongoing / general period)

Swedish doesn’t have a separate “-ing” form like English; the same present tense covers both.

Does träna always mean physical training, like working out?

No. Träna is broader than just “work out”:

• Physical exercise or sports:
  
  • Jag tränar på gymmet. = I work out at the gym.
• Practising a skill:
  
  • Jag tränar svenska. = I practise Swedish.
• Training someone else:
  
  • Hon tränar laget. = She coaches/trains the team.

In Gruppen tränar tillsammans på kvällen, context will decide whether it’s sports, exercise, or some other kind of training.

What does tillsammans mean exactly, and where does it go in the sentence?

Tillsammans means together (as in “with each other”).

Position:

• In a simple main clause, it normally goes after the verb and before time expressions:
  
  • Gruppen tränar tillsammans på kvällen.

Putting it at the very end, Gruppen tränar på kvällen tillsammans, is possible but sounds less neutral and can sound a bit marked or “tagged on” in everyday speech. The default, most natural word order is the one you have.

What is the difference between tillsammans and ihop?

Both can mean together, but:

• Tillsammans is the more neutral/standard choice.
• Ihop is more colloquial and often used in speech.

In this sentence you could say:

• Gruppen tränar tillsammans på kvällen. (neutral)
• Gruppen tränar ihop på kvällen. (more informal)

Meaning is basically the same here.

Why is it på kvällen and not i kvällen for in the evening?

With parts of the day, Swedish usually uses på:

• på morgonen = in the morning
• på eftermiddagen = in the afternoon
• på kvällen = in the evening
• på natten = at night

I kvällen is not correct; på kvällen is the standard way to say in the evening.

Why is it kvällen (definite form) and not just kväll?

Kvällen is the evening, definite form:

• kväll = evening
• kvällen = the evening
• kvällar = evenings
• kvällarna = the evenings

In time expressions, Swedish commonly uses the definite with på to talk about a general, repeated time:

• på kvällen = in the evening / in the evenings (habitually)

If you wanted to stress “on evenings (in general)” you could say på kvällar or på kvällarna, but på kvällen is the most common neutral way to express a habitual action in the evening.

Does på kvällen refer to one specific evening or evenings in general?

It can do both, depending on context:

• As a general habit:
  
  • Gruppen tränar tillsammans på kvällen.
    = The group (typically) trains together in the evenings.
• As a specific situation, if the context is clear:
  
  • (Talking about this week’s schedule)
    Gruppen tränar tillsammans på kvällen.
    = The group trains together in the evening (not in the morning/afternoon).

Without extra context, many people will read it as a general habit.

What is the difference between kväll and natt?

• kväll = evening (roughly from late afternoon until you go to bed)
• natt = night (late night, when people are usually asleep)

So:

• på kvällen = in the evening
• på natten = at night

Using kväll here makes it clear it’s evening training, not late at night.

What are the main forms of grupp that I should know?

The noun grupp is a common gender noun (en-word) and declines like this:

• en grupp = a group (indefinite singular)
• gruppen = the group (definite singular)
• grupper = groups (indefinite plural)
• grupperna = the groups (definite plural)

So if there were several groups, you’d say:

• Grupperna tränar tillsammans på kvällen.
  = The groups train together in the evening.

How do you pronounce Gruppen tränar tillsammans på kvällen?

Approximate, using English-like hints:

• Gruppen: GRUHP-pen
  
  • u like oo in book (short)
  • stress on GRUP
• tränar: TRÄÄ-nar
  
  • ä like e in bed, but often a bit more open/long
  • stress on TRÄ
• tillsammans: til-SAM-mans
  
  • stress on SAM
• på: like English paw, but a bit shorter and more rounded
• kvällen: KVEL-len
  
  • kv like kv in kvetch (k + v together)
  • ä again like e in bed
  • stress on KVEL

Overall main stresses: GRUppen TRÄnar tilSAMmans på KVÄLlen.