Fronting the Object
In a standard Swedish sentence, the subject comes first, followed by the verb and then the object. However, if you want to emphasize the object or show contrast, you can move it to the very front of the sentence.
When you do this, you must remember the golden rule of Swedish word order: the V2 rule. The verb must always remain in the second position. Because the object now takes the first position, the subject must jump to the other side of the verb. This creates an inverted word order: Object - Verb - Subject.
| The audiobook, I listened to yesterday. | Ljudboken lyssnade jag på igår. |
| The old format, I actually prefer. | Det gamla formatet föredrar jag faktiskt. |
| That podcast, I recommend. | Den där podden rekommenderar jag. |
Using "Med" for Body Parts
You already know the preposition med as "with." In Swedish, med is also the go-to word for expressing the instrument of an action. Whenever you use a specific body part to complete a task, you will use med.
Notice how the fronted object structure is maintained in these examples as well:
| The e-book, you open with your thumb. | E-boken öppnar du med tummen. |
| The heavy tablet, he holds with his hand. | Den tunga surfplattan håller han med handen. |
Using "Med" for Transportation
Just like with body parts, Swedish uses med to describe your mode of transportation. While in English you might say you travel "by" ferry or "by" subway, in Swedish you travel "with" them (åker med).
| The audiobook, she prefers when she travels by ferry. | Ljudboken föredrar hon när hon åker med färjan. |
| The newspaper, they read when they travel by subway. | Tidningen läser de när de åker med tunnelbanan. |