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Jag minns inte när vi tog en paus utan mobil.

Jag minns inte när vi tog en paus utan mobil.
I don’t remember when we took a break without a mobile phone.
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Questions & Answers about Jag minns inte när vi tog en paus utan mobil.

Why is it Jag minns inte and not Jag inte minns? What’s the rule for the position of inte?

In main clauses, Swedish follows the V2 rule: the finite verb usually comes in second position in the sentence, and negation (inte) normally comes after that verb.

  • Jag minns inte …
    • Jag = 1st element
    • minns (finite verb) = 2nd element
    • inte comes after the verb

Putting inte before minns (Jag inte minns …) breaks this rule and is ungrammatical in standard Swedish.

So the normal pattern in main clauses is:

  • Subject + verb + inte + rest of the sentence
    e.g. Jag förstår inte (I don’t understand), Vi vet inte (We don’t know), Jag minns inte (I don’t remember).
What is the difference between minns and kommer ihåg? Could I say Jag kommer inte ihåg när … instead?

Both minns and kommer ihåg mean “remember”, and in this sentence they are interchangeable:

  • Jag minns inte när vi tog en paus utan mobil.
  • Jag kommer inte ihåg när vi tog en paus utan mobil.

Differences in nuance:

  • minns

    • Slightly shorter and a bit more neutral/standard in writing.
    • Feels a little more formal or literary to some speakers, but is very common in speech too.
    • Verb forms: minns – mindes – mints.

  • kommer ihåg

    • Literally “come in mind / remember”.
    • Very common and colloquial, especially in spoken Swedish.
    • Separable verb: komma ihåg (infinitive), jag kommer ihåg, jag kom ihåg, jag har kommit ihåg.

In everyday speech, you will often hear Jag kommer inte ihåg …. Your original sentence with minns is completely natural and correct.

Why is it när vi tog en paus and not när tog vi en paus?

När vi tog en paus is a subordinate clause (a “when”-clause) embedded inside the sentence, not a direct question.

  • När vi tog en paus = “when we took a break” (a clause functioning as an object of minns).
  • När tog vi en paus? = “When did we take a break?” (a direct question).

In subordinate clauses, Swedish does not use the V2 word order in the same way as in main clauses. Instead, the pattern is:

  • Subordinator + subject + verb + …

So:

  • när vi tog en paus
    • när (when – subordinator)
    • vi (subject)
    • tog (verb)

You would only say När tog vi en paus? if you are asking someone a question, not when embedding it inside another statement like Jag minns inte ….

Why is the verb tog (past tense) used here, instead of something like har tagit?

Swedish has a similar distinction to English between simple past and present perfect, but it is used a bit differently.

  • tog = simple past (preterite): “took”
  • har tagit = present perfect: “have taken”

In Swedish, you usually use simple past to describe a finished event at some point in the past, especially when the time is either understood or implied as “before now”:

  • Jag minns inte när vi tog en paus utan mobil.
    = I don’t remember when (at any point in the past) we took a break without a phone.

You could say:

  • Jag minns inte när vi har tagit en paus utan mobil.

This is grammatically possible, but it sounds less natural in standard Swedish in this context; it suggests more of a repeated / experiential perspective (“I don’t remember when we’ve ever taken such a break”), and many speakers would still prefer tog even with that meaning.

So for a generic “some time in the past”, tog is the normal and most idiomatic choice.

Why is it utan mobil and not utan en mobil or utan mobilen?

Utan mobil here expresses a general, type-like meaning: “without (a) phone / without using phones”, rather than pointing to one specific physical phone.

In Swedish, when you talk about doing something with or without a kind of object in general, you often use a bare singular noun (no article):

  • utan mobil – without a phone (in general)
  • utan bil – without a car
  • utan jacka – without a jacket
  • med bil – by car
  • med jacka – with a jacket on

If you say:

  • utan en mobil – “without a phone” (one phone), more concrete, a bit unusual here.
  • utan mobilen – “without the phone” (a particular phone everyone knows about).

In this sentence, the idea is more like “a break without (using) phones at all”, so utan mobil is the most natural formulation.

Could I also say utan mobiler or utan våra mobiler? Would that change the meaning?

Yes, both are possible, with slight changes in nuance:

  • utan mobil
    Very general: “without (a) phone / without phones”, focusing on the concept of using phones.

  • utan mobiler
    Explicitly plural: “without phones”. Slightly more concrete: it highlights that no phones at all were involved.

  • utan våra mobiler
    “without our phones”. Very specific: it emphasizes your group’s phones.

All three are grammatically correct. Utan mobil is just a bit more generic and idiomatic for this kind of statement.

Why do we say en paus and not just paus?

Paus is a countable noun in this context: you are talking about one specific break in time. In Swedish, singular countable nouns normally need an article (en/ett) or a determiner:

  • en paus – a (single) break
  • pausen – the break
  • min paus – my break

Using bare paus by itself would normally be wrong here:

  • Jag minns inte när vi tog paus ✗ (sounds unnatural)

There are some fixed expressions where paus appears without an article, but they are special cases (e.g. ta paus can sometimes be heard, but ta en paus is much more standard and natural).

What is the difference between paus and rast? Could I say en rast instead?

Both paus and rast can translate as “break”, but they differ slightly:

  • paus

    • Very general: any kind of break or pause.
    • Used for work, conversation, activities, TV shows, etc.
    • ta en paus = take a break / pause (very common).

  • rast

    • Often used for breaks that are scheduled or institutional, especially in school or work:
      • rök- eller fikarast – smoke or coffee break
      • rasten in school – the kids’ recess.
    • Feels more like “recess” or “a formal break period”.

Your sentence suggests a more general mental or social pause in life (“I don’t remember when we last took a break without phones”), so paus is the more natural word. Jag minns inte när vi tog en rast utan mobil sounds like a work/school break specifically; it’s possible, but the nuance changes.

Why doesn’t minns take a preposition? In English we say “remember of something” in some languages.

In Swedish, minnas is a transitive verb that takes a direct object with no preposition:

  • Jag minns det – I remember it.
  • Jag minns när vi tog en paus – I remember when we took a break.
  • Minns du mig? – Do you remember me?

You never say minnas av, minnas om, etc. in this meaning.

Similarly, komma ihåg also takes a direct object without a preposition:

  • Jag kommer ihåg det.
  • Jag kommer ihåg när vi tog en paus.
Is there any difference in tone between Jag minns inte när … and Jag kommer inte ihåg när …?

Both are correct and very common, but there is a small difference in feel:

  • Jag minns inte när …

    • Slightly shorter and a bit more neutral or formal, especially in writing.
    • Common in narratives, books, and standard written Swedish.
    • Sounds entirely fine in speech too.

  • Jag kommer inte ihåg när …

    • Feels a bit more colloquial and is very frequent in everyday spoken Swedish.
    • Many people would naturally use this in conversation.

In most contexts, they are practically interchangeable, and choosing one over the other won’t change the meaning of the sentence. It’s mostly about style and habit, not correctness.