Breakdown of Jag vill säga upp abonnemanget.
jag
I
vilja
to want
abonnemanget
the subscription
säga upp
to cancel a contract
Questions & Answers about Jag vill säga upp abonnemanget.
What does säga upp mean, and do I need to learn it as one unit?
Yes — säga upp is a particle verb, so it is best learned as a single expression.
In this sentence, säga upp means to cancel, to terminate, or to give notice on something like:
- a subscription
- a contract
- an agreement
- a job
So Jag vill säga upp abonnemanget means that the speaker wants to end that subscription.
A useful thing to remember is that the meaning is not predictable from the basic meaning of säga (to say) plus upp (up). Just as in English phrasal verbs, the combination has its own meaning.
Why is there no att after vill?
Because vill is a modal verb, and after modal verbs in Swedish, the next verb normally appears in the bare infinitive — without att.
So you say:
- Jag vill säga upp abonnemanget.
Not:
- Jag vill att säga upp abonnemanget.
This is the same pattern you get with other modal verbs:
- Jag kan komma. = I can come.
- Jag måste gå. = I must go.
- Jag ska ringa. = I will / am going to call.
So after vill, just use the infinitive directly: säga upp.