Word
Vi hjälper varandra när någon blir sjuk.
Meaning
We help each other when someone gets sick.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about Vi hjälper varandra när någon blir sjuk.
What does varandra mean here?
Varandra means each other or one another.
So:
- Vi hjälper varandra = We help each other
It is a reciprocal pronoun, used when the action goes both ways between the people involved.
Compare:
- Vi hjälper honom = We help him
- Vi hjälper varandra = We help each other
In this sentence, varandra is the object of hjälper.
Why is it hjälper and not hjälpa?
Hjälper is the present tense of the verb hjälpa.
- att hjälpa = to help
- hjälper = help / are helping
So:
- Vi hjälper varandra = We help each other
Swedish verbs do not change for person the way English verbs sometimes do. The same present-tense form is used with all subjects:
- jag hjälper
- du hjälper
- vi hjälper
Why is there no word for to in hjälper varandra?