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En låt på tv kan påminna om en dröm.

En låt på tv kan påminna om en dröm.
A song on TV can remind you of a dream.

Breakdown of En låt på tv kan påminna om en dröm.

en
a
kunna
can
på
on
teven
the TV
låten
the song
drömmen
the dream
påminna om
to remind
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Questions & Answers about En låt på tv kan påminna om en dröm.

Why do we use en before låt and dröm? Could we leave it out?

En is the indefinite article for common-gender nouns (like a/an in English).

  • en låt = a song
  • en dröm = a dream

In normal sentences you cannot leave it out in the singular:

  • ✅ En låt på tv kan påminna om en dröm.
  • ❌ Låt på tv kan påminna om dröm. (wrong in normal Swedish)

You can only skip the article in special styles (headlines, notes, etc.), for example in a TV listing: Låt på tv.

What is the difference between en låt and låten here? Could I say Låten på tv kan påminna om en dröm?

Swedish has a definite form built into the noun:

  • en låt = a song (indefinite)
  • låten = the song (definite)

So:

  • En låt på tv kan påminna om en dröm.
    = A song on TV can remind (you) of a dream. (any song, in general)

  • Låten på tv kan påminna om en dröm.
    = The song on TV can remind (you) of a dream. (a specific song that both speakers know about)

Both are grammatically correct; you just change the meaning from general to specific.

Why is it på tv and not i tv or something else?

For media like TV and radio, Swedish uses på:

  • på tv = on TV
  • på radio = on the radio

You would not normally say i tv in this meaning. i is used more for being physically in something (in a room, in a box, in a country, etc.). So:

  • ✅ En låt på tv … = A song on TV …
  • ❌ En låt i tv … (sounds wrong to native speakers in this sense)
How do you pronounce and write tv in Swedish? Is it like English “TV”?

In writing, you’ll most often see:

  • tv (very common)
  • TV (also used)
  • teve (spelled-out, a bit more informal/old-fashioned)

All are understood as the same thing.

In speech, tv is pronounced like teve:
/ˈteːve/ — roughly TEH-veh.

So på tv is said as på teve.

What does kan add to the sentence? What is the difference between kan påminna and just påminner?

kan is a modal verb meaning can or may, and here it expresses possibility:

  • En låt på tv kan påminna om en dröm.
    = A song on TV can remind (you) of a dream. (It’s possible; it sometimes happens.)

Without kan:

  • En låt på tv påminner om en dröm.
    = A song on TV reminds (you) of a dream.

This sounds more like a general fact or a description of how some particular song usually feels. With kan, it sounds more like “this is something that might happen.”

How does påminna om work? Why do we need om, and where does the person being reminded go?

The verb pattern is:

påminna någon om något
= remind someone of something

So:

  • Den här låten påminner mig om en dröm.
    = This song reminds me of a dream.
    • mig = the person being reminded
    • om en dröm = what it reminds you of

In your sentence there is no explicit person:

  • En låt på tv kan påminna om en dröm.

This is like saying in English: A song on TV can remind (you/one/people) of a dream. The om is required with påminna; you do not say påminna en dröm.

More examples:

  • Det här fotot påminner henne om barndomen.
    = This photo reminds her of childhood.
Why is there no word for you in the Swedish sentence?

Swedish often leaves out the person when the meaning is general, like English you meaning people in general or one.

  • En låt på tv kan påminna om en dröm.
    = A song on TV can remind you/one/people of a dream.

If you want to be explicit, you can add the object:

  • En låt på tv kan påminna dig om en dröm.
    = A song on TV can remind you of a dream.

Both are correct; the version without dig just sounds a bit more general and neutral.

Can I move på tv to another position, like in English? Does it change the meaning?

Yes, you can move på tv, but the meaning can change slightly:

  1. En låt på tv kan påminna om en dröm.
    = A song that is on TV can remind you of a dream. (på tv describes låt.)

  2. På tv kan en låt påminna om en dröm.
    = On TV, a song can remind you of a dream. (focus on the on TV part)

  3. En låt kan påminna om en dröm på tv.
    = A song can remind you of a dream on TV.
    Now på tv tends to attach to en dröm instead, so it sounds like a dream on TV, which is a different meaning.

So the original word order is chosen to clearly say that the song is on TV, not the dream.

Could I use the plural and say Låtar på tv kan påminna om drömmar? Is that more natural?

Yes, that sentence is also perfectly correct:

  • Låtar på tv kan påminna om drömmar.
    = Songs on TV can remind (you) of dreams.

Both versions are fine:

  • Singular generic: En låt på tv kan påminna om en dröm.
    (a song / a dream, in general)
  • Plural generic: Låtar på tv kan påminna om drömmar.
    (songs / dreams, in general)

Swedish freely uses either singular or plural for general statements like this. The singular version is very natural and common.

How do you pronounce låt, påminna, and dröm?

Rough guides (not exact, but close enough):

  • låt /loːt/

    • å is a long vowel, similar to the vowel in English law, but more rounded.
    • The t is pronounced but not strongly exploded.
    • One syllable, with a long vowel: låååt.

  • påminna /ˈpoːˌmɪna/

    • Stress mainly on på: PÅ-min-na.
    • å is long again (like in låt).
    • i is short, like in English sit.

  • dröm /drœm/

    • ö is like the vowel in British English bird or her, but with more lip rounding.
    • One short vowel; dröm is a short, clipped word.

Listening to native audio is very helpful for getting å and ö right, since they don’t exist in exactly the same way in English.