Jag måste skynda mig, annars hinner jag inte med bussen.

I have to hurry, otherwise I won’t catch the bus.

Breakdown of Jag måste skynda mig, annars hinner jag inte med bussen.

• jag: I
• inte: not
• mig: me
• bussen: the bus

Questions & Answers about Jag måste skynda mig, annars hinner jag inte med bussen.

Why is it Jag måste skynda mig and not Jag måste skynda?

Because skynda (sig) is very commonly used reflexively in Swedish when you mean to hurry (oneself) / to hurry up.

• skynda mig = hurry up / hurry myself (natural everyday phrasing)
• skynda without mig/sig can work, but it often feels more like hurry (something) along or sounds less idiomatic in this context.
  You’ll also see: Skynda dig! = Hurry up!

What exactly does mig mean here, and why is it mig (not jag)?

mig is the object form of jag (like me vs I). In reflexive verbs, Swedish uses the object form:

• jag → mig
• du → dig
• han → sig (reflexive for he/she/they in many cases)
  So Jag måste skynda mig literally corresponds to I must hurry myself.

What’s the role of the comma, and can I leave it out?