The Generic Pronoun: man
When talking about public rules, health advice, or things that apply to people in general, English usually relies on a generic "you" or "one". In Swedish, use the pronoun man.
Man is always the subject of the sentence and takes singular verbs.
| You must not smoke here. | Man får inte röka här. |
| You must read that sign. | Man måste läsa den där skylten. |
| You must think about your health. | Man måste tänka på hälsan. |
The Object Form: en
The pronoun man has a strict rule: it can only be used as a subject. If the generic "you" or "one" is the object of a verb or comes after a preposition, Swedish uses en.
| Walking makes you healthy. | Att promenera gör en frisk. |
| It is dangerous for you to smoke. | Det är farligt för en att röka. |
| That rule helps you. | Den där regeln hjälper en. |
General Statements in Daily Life
You will hear man and en used constantly to express everyday truths, instructions, or facts. Just remember: use man when "you" are doing the action, and en when the action is happening to "you".
| Your heart feels good when you are healthy. | Hjärtat mår bra när man är frisk. |
| It is good for the body and makes one happy. | Det är bra för kroppen och gör en glad. |
| You always wash your hands before you eat. | Man tvättar alltid händerna innan man äter. |
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io
