Kan du stänga av teven nu?

Kan du literally means can you. It is a very common way to make a request in Swedish, just like in English.

So:

• Kan du ...? = Can you ...?
• Kan du stänga av teven nu? = Can you turn off the TV now?

Even though it uses can, it often functions as a polite request, not a question about ability.

Because stänga av is the verb meaning to switch off / turn off.

• stänga = to close / shut
• stänga av = to turn off

This is a very important difference. In Swedish, many verbs combine with small words like av, på, upp, and ner to create a different meaning.

Examples:

• stänga dörren = close the door
• stänga av teven = turn off the TV

In Swedish main clauses, the particle in a particle verb is often separated from the verb.

The full verb is stänga av, but in a sentence it often appears like this:

• Kan du stänga av teven?

Here:

• stänga = the verb part
• av = the particle

This separation is normal.

Compare:

• infinitive: att stänga av
• sentence: Jag stänger av teven
• question/request: Kan du stänga av teven?

Teven is the definite form of teve, which means TV / television.

So:

• en teve = a TV
• teven = the TV

This is a common, everyday Swedish word. You may also see tv:n, especially in writing.

So these can both mean the TV:

• teven
• tv:n

Teven often feels more fully spelled out and natural in ordinary speech.

Because teve is a common-gender noun in Swedish, so it takes the definite ending -n, not -et.

Swedish nouns usually belong to one of two genders:

• en-words
• ett-words

Teve is an en-word:

• en teve
• teven

If it were an ett-word, then the definite form would normally end in -et, but that is not the case here.

Nu means now.

In this sentence, it adds a sense like:

• Can you turn off the TV now?
• Can you turn off the TV now, please?

Depending on tone, nu can sound:

• neutral
• slightly firm
• impatient

So the exact feeling depends a lot on context and intonation.

Yes, it can be polite, but it is fairly direct.

Kan du ...? is a normal and acceptable way to ask someone to do something. It is not rude by itself.

Still, Swedish often sounds a bit more direct than English. In English, learners may expect extra softening like please, but Swedish does not always need that.

If you want to sound softer, you could add:

• snälla = please
• är du snäll och ... = a softer request pattern

For example:

• Kan du stänga av teven nu, snälla?

No, that would not be the normal word order.

The natural order is:

• Kan du stänga av teven nu?

With particle verbs like stänga av, the particle av normally stays close to the verb before the object in this kind of construction.

So use:

• stänga av teven

not:

• stänga teven av

The structure is:

• Kan = modal verb
• du = subject
• stänga av = infinitive verb phrase
• teven = object
• nu = time adverb

So literally:

• Can
  • you
    • turn off
      • the TV
        • now

This is very similar to English word order.

A statement version could be:

• Du kan stänga av teven nu. = You can turn off the TV now.

Notice the change in word order:

• question: Kan du stänga av teven nu?
• statement: Du kan stänga av teven nu.

In the question, the verb kan comes first.

A rough guide for English speakers is:

• stänga ≈ STENG-ah
• av ≈ ahv
• teven ≈ TAY-ven or TEH-ven, depending on accent

A few helpful points:

• ä in stänga is not exactly like English a; it is closer to the vowel in bed, but longer/open in many accents.
• g in stänga is pronounced as a hard g here.
• Stress is mainly on the first syllable of stänga and teve.

Yes. Common alternatives are:

• tv / tv:n = very common written form
• televisionen = more formal or full form

Examples:

• Kan du stänga av tv:n nu?
• Kan du stänga av televisionen nu?

All are understandable, but teven or tv:n are especially common in everyday Swedish.

A useful set to learn is:

• att stänga av = to turn off
• stänger av = turns off / am turning off / are turning off
• stängde av = turned off
• stängt av = turned off (supine / past participle in some uses)

Examples:

• Jag stänger av teven. = I’m turning off the TV.
• Jag stängde av teven. = I turned off the TV.
• Jag har stängt av teven. = I have turned off the TV.

This helps you recognize the same verb in different sentences.