Perception verbs (se, höra, känna + infinitive)

Verbs of Perception and the Bare Infinitive

When you observe someone or something performing an action, Swedish uses a structure very similar to English. Use a verb of perception—like se (to see) or höra (to hear)—followed by an object and a bare infinitive (the infinitive form without the marker att).

I see the deer run in the forest.
Jag ser hjorten springa i skogen.
We see the fox sneak behind the bush.
Vi ser räven smyga bakom busken.
I hear the wolf howl when the moon rises.
Jag hör vargen yla när månen går upp.

Negating Perception Verbs

To negate the sentence, place inte directly after the perception verb, right before the object.

The mouse does not hear the eagle approach.
Musen hör inte örnen närma sig.

Feeling Actions with "känna"

The verb känna (to feel) works exactly the same way for immediate physical sensations, like feeling the ground shake or a heartbeat pound.

The wolf feels the ground shake.
Vargen känner marken skaka.
He feels his pulse pound when he sees the bear.
Han känner pulsen bulta när han ser björnen.

You can combine this structure with negation just as easily:

I do not feel the pulse beat.
Jag känner inte pulsen slå.