Breakdown of Jag vill förändra mitt liv genom att sova mer.
Questions & Answers about Jag vill förändra mitt liv genom att sova mer.
Swedish possessive pronouns must agree with the grammatical gender and number of the noun:
- min = for en-words in singular
- e.g. min bok (my book), min bil (my car)
- mitt = for ett-words in singular
- e.g. mitt hus (my house), mitt liv (my life)
- mina = for all plural nouns
- e.g. mina böcker (my books), mina liv (my lives)
The noun liv is an ett-word: ett liv.
Therefore you must use mitt liv, not min liv.
Swedish has two common patterns here:
Modal verb + infinitive without att
After certain verbs like vill, ska, kan, måste, you normally drop att:- Jag vill förändra … (I want to change …)
- Jag ska sova. (I will sleep.)
- Jag kan simma. (I can swim.)
So after vill, we say vill förändra, not vill att förändra.
preposition + att + infinitive
After genom you need a verb phrase, and the usual structure is:- genom att + infinitive
- genom att sova (by sleeping)
- genom att träna (by exercising)
So:
- Jag vill förändra = vill
- infinitive (no att)
- genom att sova = preposition + att
- infinitive
Both mean to change, but there is a nuance:
ändra: to change, modify, alter something; often more neutral or smaller changes
- Jag vill ändra min plan. – I want to change my plan.
- Kan du ändra tiden? – Can you change the time?
förändra: to change in a more fundamental or transformative sense; often about bigger or more long‑term change
- Jag vill förändra mitt liv. – I want to change/transform my life.
- Samhället har förändrats. – Society has changed.
In this sentence, förändra mitt liv feels more like transform my life, not just adjust one small detail.
You can say Jag vill ändra mitt liv, and people will understand you.
However, förändra mitt liv sounds more natural and idiomatic here, because it suggests a more overall, deeper change in your life.
Ändra mitt liv could sound slightly weaker or less typical in this context—but it isn’t wrong.
genom att literally combines:
- genom = through, by (as a means)
- att = the infinitive marker before a verb
Together, genom att + infinitive is usually translated as “by …ing” in English:
- Jag lärde mig svenska genom att titta på TV.
I learned Swedish by watching TV. - Hon sparade pengar genom att cykla till jobbet.
She saved money by biking to work.
So genom att sova mer = by sleeping more.
It is not the only way to say “by …ing,” but it is the standard and safest structure.
No. In standard Swedish, you need att before the infinitive after genom:
- ✅ genom att sova mer
- ❌ genom sova mer
When genom is followed by a verb, the pattern is genom att + infinitive.
Word order with adverbs (like mer) usually puts the adverb after the infinitive verb in this kind of phrase:
- att sova mer – to sleep more
- att äta mindre – to eat less
- att träna oftare – to exercise more often
mer sova sounds ungrammatical in this context.
However, you might see mer before a noun:
- mer sömn – more sleep (noun)
- mer tid – more time
So: verb + mer (when mer modifies the verb),
but mer + noun (when it modifies a noun).
vill mainly means want (to):
- Jag vill sova. – I want to sleep.
- Hon vill resa. – She wants to travel.
English will (future tense) is not translated with vill in Swedish.
For future meaning, Swedish often uses ska or just the present tense:
- Jag ska sova tidigt ikväll. – I will sleep early tonight.
- Jag sover hos en kompis imorgon. – I’m sleeping / I will sleep at a friend’s place tomorrow.
So in this sentence, vill = “want to,” not “will.”
No, that is not correct here.
After vill, you normally use the bare infinitive (without att):
- ✅ Jag vill förändra mitt liv.
- ❌ Jag vill att förändra mitt liv.
You do use vill att in a different structure, when there is a subordinate clause:
- Jag vill att du förändrar ditt liv.
I want you to change your life.
Structure difference:
- Jag vill + infinitive (no att)
- Jag vill att + subject + conjugated verb
Unfortunately, grammatical gender in Swedish is mostly something you have to memorize.
- liv is an ett-word: ett liv – a life
- Therefore:
- mitt liv (my life)
- det här livet (this life)
There is no simple rule that predicts that liv must be an ett-word.
When you learn a new noun in Swedish, it’s best to learn it together with en/ett:
- ett liv
- ett hus
- en stad
- en bok
Approximate pronunciation (Swedish standard):
- Jag: often [jaː] or [jɑ]
- The g is usually silent or very weak.
- vill: [vɪl]
- Like English “vill” in “villain,” short i sound.
- förändra: [fœˈrɛnːdra] or [fœˈrɛnːra]
- för-: [fœr] (like French eu in peur).
- -än-: [ɛn] (like “en” in “men,” with n often a bit longer).
- -dra: [dra] (trilled or tapped r, a like in “father”).
You don’t need perfect phonetics; just know:
- Jag ≈ “ya”
- vill ≈ “vill” (short i)
- för ≈ “fur” but with rounder ö
- Stress is on -rän-: förÄNdra.
Yes, that word order is grammatically possible, but it sounds more formal or stylistically marked. It puts extra focus on the method (genom att sova mer) in the middle.
Most natural and neutral is:
- Jag vill förändra mitt liv genom att sova mer.
Alternative orders like:
- Jag vill förändra mitt liv genom att sova mer. (standard)
- Jag vill, genom att sova mer, förändra mitt liv. (very marked / written style)
For everyday speech, stick to the original order.
No, med att is not idiomatic here.
To express “by doing X” as a method or means, Swedish uses:
- genom att + infinitive
So:
- ✅ genom att sova mer – by sleeping more
- ❌ med att sova mer
med is used differently, especially with nouns:
- med sömn – with sleep
- med min familj – with my family
But not med att + verb for “by doing …”
Here, sova is a verb in the infinitive (to sleep):
- att sova mer – to sleep more / sleeping more
If you wanted a noun, you would use sömn (sleep as a thing):
- Jag behöver mer sömn. – I need more sleep.
So:
- genom att sova mer = by sleeping more (verb)
- genom mer sömn = by more sleep (noun) – also possible, but less natural in this sentence.