Log inSign up

Jag hinner knappt dricka kaffe på morgonen.

Jag hinner knappt dricka kaffe på morgonen.
I hardly have time to drink coffee in the morning.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Swedish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Swedish now

Questions & Answers about Jag hinner knappt dricka kaffe på morgonen.

What exactly does hinna mean here, and how is it different from just saying “have time” or using kan?

Hinna means “to have enough time (to do something), to manage in time.” It implies a time limitation, not ability.

  • Jag hinner dricka kaffe.
    = I have (enough) time to drink coffee / I manage to drink coffee (before I have to leave etc.).
  • Jag kan dricka kaffe.
    = I can drink coffee (I’m able/allowed to; there is no obstacle).

In Jag hinner knappt dricka kaffe på morgonen, it’s not about whether you can drink coffee in general, but that your morning is so rushed that you barely have enough time to do it.

Why is it hinner knappt and not hinner dricka knappt kaffe or something like that? Where does knappt go?

In main clauses, Swedish normally puts sentence adverbs and similar words (like inte, ofta, knappt) right after the finite verb (the conjugated verb).

  • Subject: Jag
  • Finite verb: hinner
  • Adverb: knappt
  • Infinitive: dricka
  • Object: kaffe

So the normal word order is:

Jag hinner knappt dricka kaffe.

Saying Jag hinner dricka knappt kaffe is wrong here, because knappt is not modifying the noun kaffe; it’s modifying the action “have time to drink coffee”.

If you wanted to focus on the amount of coffee instead, you’d say:

  • Jag hinner dricka knappt något kaffe.
    = I only have time to drink hardly any coffee.
Is there an att missing before dricka? Should it be hinna att dricka?

No att is needed here, and adding it would sound unnatural.

After certain verbs that behave a bit like modal verbs, Swedish normally omits att before the next verb in the infinitive. Common ones include:

  • kunna (can)
  • vilja (want)
  • måste (must)
  • ska (shall, going to)
  • hinna (have time)
  • orka (have the energy)

So you say:

  • Jag hinner dricka kaffe. ✅
    not Jag hinner att dricka kaffe. ❌ (sounds wrong/foreign)
Why is it på morgonen with the definite form, and not just på morgon?

Morgonen is the definite form of morgon (“the morning”). In time expressions, Swedish very often uses the definite singular to mean something habitual or general:

  • på morgonen = in the morning / in the mornings (as a general routine)
  • på kvällen = in the evening / in the evenings
  • på vintern = in (the) winter (as a season, in general)

So Jag hinner knappt dricka kaffe på morgonen is about your typical mornings, not just one specific morning.

You can also say på morgnarna (“in the mornings”), which is a bit more explicitly plural:

  • Jag hinner knappt dricka kaffe på morgnarna.
    = Most mornings, I barely have time to drink coffee.
Could I say Jag har knappt tid att dricka kaffe på morgonen instead? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say that, and it’s very natural.

  • Jag hinner knappt dricka kaffe på morgonen.
    Literally “I hardly manage in time to drink coffee in the morning.”
  • Jag har knappt tid att dricka kaffe på morgonen.
    Literally “I hardly have time to drink coffee in the morning.”

Meaning-wise they are very close. Hinna is a bit more compact and slightly more idiomatic in this type of sentence. Ha tid att is more transparent for learners and may feel a bit more neutral or explicit.

You can use either one in everyday speech.

What exactly does knappt mean here? How is it different from nästan inte or knappast?

In this sentence, knappt means “barely, hardly, scarcely.”

Rough comparison:

  • knappt – everyday, very common:
    • Jag hinner knappt dricka kaffe.
      = I barely have time to drink coffee.
  • nästan inte – “almost not,” a little softer:
    • Jag hinner nästan inte dricka kaffe.
      = I almost don’t have time to drink coffee.
  • knappast – more formal/old-fashioned in spoken language:
    • Jag hinner knappast dricka kaffe.
      = I hardly have time to drink coffee. (sounds a bit more formal or bookish)

In most spoken contexts, knappt is the most natural choice here.

Why is the verb in the present tense (hinner) if we’re talking about a regular habit, not necessarily right now?

Swedish present tense covers both:

  1. Actions happening now:
    • Jag dricker kaffe nu. = I’m drinking coffee now.
  2. Habits and general truths:
    • Jag dricker kaffe på morgonen. = I drink coffee in the morning / I have coffee in the morning.
    • Jag hinner knappt dricka kaffe på morgonen. = I hardly have time (on a typical morning).

So the present tense hinner naturally expresses a repeated, habitual situation, just like English “I hardly have time to drink coffee in the morning.”

Why is it just kaffe without an article? When would I say en kaffe or kaffet?

Swedish uses kaffe both as a mass noun and as a countable noun (a cup of coffee), depending on context.

  1. Mass noun (no article):

    • Jag dricker kaffe. = I drink coffee.
    • Jag hinner knappt dricka kaffe. = I barely have time to drink coffee.
      Here, we’re talking about coffee in general, not specific cups.

  2. Countable (one coffee, a cup):

    • Jag tar en kaffe. = I’ll have a coffee (one cup).
    • Vi beställde två kaffe. = We ordered two coffees.

  3. Definite (the coffee we mentioned/see):

    • Jag hinner inte dricka upp kaffet. = I don’t have time to finish the coffee.

In your sentence, kaffe is used in the general/mass sense, so no article is needed.

Can I start the sentence with På morgonen? How does that affect the word order with hinner and knappt?

Yes, and it’s very natural:

På morgonen hinner jag knappt dricka kaffe.

Swedish main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb must be in the second position.

  • 1st element: På morgonen (time adverbial)
  • 2nd element (must be the finite verb): hinner
  • Then the subject: jag
  • Then adverb: knappt
  • Then the rest: dricka kaffe

You cannot say:
❌ På morgonen jag hinner knappt dricka kaffe. (verb is not in second position)

Correct options:

  • Jag hinner knappt dricka kaffe på morgonen.
  • På morgonen hinner jag knappt dricka kaffe.
Is there anything important about the pronunciation of hinner knappt dricka kaffe på morgonen that English speakers often get wrong?

A few tips:

  • hinner – Double n means a short vowel + long consonant:
    • /ˈhɪnːer/ (short “i” like in sit, then a long “nn”).
  • knappt – The initial kn- is usually pronounced as /kn/ in standard Swedish (not just /n/). Final -pt is often a bit simplified in fast speech, but aim for /knapt/ as a learner.
  • dricka – Stress on the first syllable: DRI‑cka, with short i
    • long kk: /ˈdrɪkːa/.
  • kaffe – Also stressed first: KAF‑fe, with short a
    • long ff: /ˈkafːe/.
  • morgonen – Stress on mor‑: /ˈmɔrːɡonɛn/. The g is usually pronounced; the o is like o in “or”.

Saying the whole sentence with clear stress on hínner and káffe will help your rhythm:

JAG hinner KNAPPT dricka KAFfe på MORgonen.