Säg upp abonnemanget före förfallodagen.

Säg is the imperative form of säga.

The imperative is used for commands, instructions, and requests, so Säg upp abonnemanget is the kind of wording you would see in a notice, instruction, or piece of advice.

A few related forms are:

• att säga = infinitive
• säger = present tense
• sa = past tense
• säg = imperative

So this sentence starts with a command: Cancel ...

Yes, säga by itself means say, but säga upp is a fixed expression, a particle verb.

That means the combination has its own meaning. With upp, the verb no longer means simply say. Instead, säga upp can mean things like:

• cancel a subscription or contract
• terminate an agreement
• give notice on
• in other contexts, dismiss someone from a job

So in this sentence, you should understand säg upp as one unit meaning cancel.

Because säga upp is a particle verb, and in Swedish these are normally written as two words.

So you write:

• att säga upp
• jag säger upp
• säg upp abonnemanget

You should not combine them into one word.

This is different from some other Swedish verbs that are true compound verbs and are written as one word. Here, upp stays separate.

This sentence is in the imperative, and Swedish imperatives normally begin with the verb.

The subject is usually left out, because it is understood. The implied subject is usually you:

• (Du) säg upp abonnemanget would sound unnatural
• just Säg upp abonnemanget is correct

So the structure is basically:

• Verb + object + time phrase

That is very normal for instructions and commands in Swedish.

Because abonnemang is an ett-word:

• ett abonnemang = a subscription
• abonnemanget = the subscription

The ending -et is the definite singular ending for this noun.

So instead of using a separate word like English the, Swedish usually adds the definiteness to the end of the noun.

Because förfallodag is an en-word:

• en förfallodag = a due date
• förfallodagen = the due date

For many en-words, the definite singular ending is -en.

So here:

• före förfallodagen = before the due date

This is the same definite pattern as with many other en-words in Swedish.

Because Swedish usually expresses the by adding an ending to the noun itself.

In this sentence:

• abonnemanget = the subscription
• förfallodagen = the due date

This is one of the biggest structural differences from English. English uses a separate article, but Swedish very often uses a suffix.

So English:

• the subscription
• the due date

Swedish:

• abonnemanget
• förfallodagen

A very useful rule for learners is:

• före is commonly used before a noun phrase
• innan is commonly used before a clause

Here, förfallodagen is a noun, so före fits naturally:

• före förfallodagen = before the due date

Compare:

• före förfallodagen = before the due date
• innan abonnemanget förnyas = before the subscription renews

That is not the whole story in every possible context, but it is a very good rule of thumb.

Förfallodag is a compound noun. It means the due date, especially for payment.

You will often see it in bills, invoices, banking, and subscription-related language.

So före förfallodagen means before the date when payment is due, or before the deadline connected with the payment cycle.

Even if you do not break the word apart, it is useful to recognize it as an administrative or financial term.

Yes, you often can, but the nuance is a little different.

• säga upp abonnemanget is very idiomatic for cancel a subscription/contract
• avsluta abonnemanget means end/close the subscription and can also work in many contexts

If you are talking about formally canceling an agreement before renewal or billing, säga upp is often the most natural choice.

So both may be understood, but säga upp abonnemanget sounds especially appropriate for subscriptions, contracts, and notice periods.