Learn Hardcore Swedish: Han vet inte vad en riktig paus är, eftersom han alltid tänker på jobbet. - He does not know what a real break is, because he is always thinking about work.

The verb is infinitive:
- att inte veta – not to know
Inte is moved for emphasis (quite marked):
- Inte vet han det! – He certainly doesn’t know that!

So Han inte vet … sounds wrong in neutral Swedish; Han vet inte … is the normal word order.

Why does the verb är come at the end in vad en riktig paus är?

This is an indirect question (a clause introduced by a question word vad inside a bigger sentence).

In Swedish:

Direct question: Vad är en riktig paus? – What is a real break?
- Order: Question word – verb – subject
Indirect question: Han vet inte vad en riktig paus är. – He doesn’t know what a real break is.
- Order inside the clause:
  Question word – subject – (adjectives etc.) – verb (at the end)

So in indirect questions, Swedish uses subordinate clause word order:

vad + en riktig paus + är (verb at the end of the clause)

Compare:

Jag undrar var han är. – I wonder where he is.
Kan du förklara hur det fungerar? – Can you explain how it works?

Why is there a comma before eftersom in Swedish? Is it always required?

In Swedish, eftersom introduces a subordinate clause of reason (a “because”-clause). When that clause comes after the main clause, a comma is standard in writing:

Han vet inte vad en riktig paus är, eftersom han alltid tänker på jobbet.

Modern style:

Most writers do put a comma before eftersom when it comes later in the sentence.
If the eftersom-clause comes first, there’s no comma between the clauses:
- Eftersom han alltid tänker på jobbet vet han inte vad en riktig paus är.

So in this sentence, the comma is natural, correct, and usually expected in written Swedish.

What’s the difference between eftersom and för att meaning “because”? Could I say … för att han alltid tänker på jobbet?

Both eftersom and för att can often be translated as because, but there are nuances:

eftersom
- More neutral/standard for “because”.
- Common in both speech and writing.
- Works well for explanations and reasons.
- Here: eftersom han alltid tänker på jobbet is perfect.
för att
- Primary meaning: “in order to” (purpose):
  - Jag jobbar mycket för att tjäna pengar. – I work a lot in order to earn money.
- Can also mean because, especially in speech, but can sometimes sound more causal with an attitude (like “’cause” or “since” with an implied judgment).

In this specific sentence:

… eftersom han alltid tänker på jobbet is best.
… för att han alltid tänker på jobbet is possible, especially in speech, but some style guides prefer eftersom here to avoid confusion with the “in order to” meaning.

Why is it en riktig paus and not ett riktig paus?

Swedish nouns have two grammatical genders:

en-words (common gender)
ett-words (neuter gender)

The noun paus is an en-word:

en paus / pausen / pauser / pauserna

Because paus is an en-word, you use:

en riktig paus (indefinite, singular)
den riktiga pausen (definite, singular)

If the noun were an ett-word, the adjective would also take a -t ending:

ett riktigt problem – a real problem
ett riktigt jobb – a real job

So:

en riktig paus (correct)
ett riktig paus (wrong)

Why is it riktig paus and not verklig paus? What’s the nuance of riktig?

Both riktig and verklig can relate to “real”, but they have different typical uses:

riktig
- Often means proper / genuine / decent / the way it should be.
- Focus on quality or meeting expectations.
- en riktig paus = a proper break, a good/real rest (as opposed to a fake or half-hearted break).
verklig
- Closer to actually existing / real, not imaginary.
- Common in contrasts like:
  - i verkligheten – in reality
  - en verklig person – a real person (not fictional)

In your sentence, he doesn’t know what a proper break is—he never really switches off from work. That natural nuance in Swedish is expressed with en riktig paus, not en verklig paus.

Why is tänker used here, and not some other verb like tycker or tror?

Swedish has several “think-like” verbs with different meanings:

tänka (på) – direct mental activity: to think (about something)
- Han tänker på jobbet. – He thinks about work.
- Focus is on his mind being occupied with work.
tycka – to think in the sense of have an opinion
- Jag tycker att det är svårt. – I think (I’m of the opinion) that it’s hard.
tro – to believe / think with some uncertainty or as a guess
- Jag tror att han kommer. – I think (I believe) he’s coming.

In the sentence, we mean:

His thoughts are constantly going to work. So tänker på jobbet is exactly the right choice.

Why use tänker på jobbet and not tänker om jobbet?

The preposition after tänka changes the meaning:

tänka på något – to think about something
- Jag tänker på dig. – I’m thinking about you.
- Han tänker på jobbet. – He’s thinking about work.
tänka om något is rare and usually part of:
- tänka om – to rethink / change your mind
  - Jag fick tänka om. – I had to rethink / change my mind.

So tänker om jobbet would sound off or mean something like “rethink the job” in some special context. For “think about work”, you need tänker på jobbet.

Why is it på jobbet and not just jobbet or på arbete?

På jobbet is a very common fixed expression:

jobbet = the job / the workplace (definite form of jobb)
på jobbet literally “on/at the job”, but usually means:
- at work / about his work

In this sentence:

han alltid tänker på jobbet ≈ “he is always thinking about work”
It suggests his work situation / workplace / tasks, not just the abstract concept of “work”.

Other possibilities:

på arbetet – more formal, similar meaning.
tänker på arbete – would sound like “thinking about (the concept of) work” and is less idiomatic here.

So på jobbet is the natural colloquial way to say “about work” in this context.

Why is the present tense tänker used, not something like a continuous form?

Swedish doesn’t have a separate -ing (continuous) tense like English does. The present tense covers:

Simple present: He thinks
Present continuous: He is thinking

So:

Han tänker på jobbet. can mean:
- “He thinks about work.” (general habit)
- “He is thinking about work.” (right now)

In your sentence, the adverb alltid (always) makes it clear it’s a habitual action:

han alltid tänker på jobbet – he is always thinking about work.

Swedish just uses the plain present form tänker for this, not a special continuous form.