Han klagar på trafiken varje morgon.

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Breakdown of Han klagar på trafiken varje morgon.

• varje: every
• morgonen: the morning
• trafiken: the traffic

Questions & Answers about Han klagar på trafiken varje morgon.

What does klagar på mean exactly, and why do we need på here?

Klagar på corresponds to complains about in English.

In Swedish, klaga almost always needs a preposition when you say what you complain about, and the normal pattern is:

• klaga på + noun → complain about something
  
  • Han klagar på trafiken. = He complains about the traffic.

So you should think of klaga på as a fixed combination when the meaning is complain about (something).

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Can I use other prepositions like över or om instead of på?

Sometimes, yes, but there are nuances:

• klaga på is the most neutral and common when you complain about something concrete:
  • Han klagar på trafiken. (totally normal)
• klaga över is a bit more formal/literary and often used for more abstract problems or suffering:
  • Hon klagar över huvudvärk. (She complains of headaches.)
• klaga om is rare and usually not used in this meaning.

For everyday speech about traffic, klaga på trafiken is the natural choice.

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Why is it trafiken (definite form) and not just trafik?