Breakdown of Barnet tittar inte på tidningen.
barnet
the child
inte
not
titta på
to look at
tidningen
the newspaper
Questions & Answers about Barnet tittar inte på tidningen.
Why is inte placed after the verb tittar?
In simple Swedish main sentences, the verb is usually in the second position. Here, Barnet is the first piece of information, so the verb tittar comes second. The negation word inte steps in right after the verb!
Doesn't på usually mean 'on'? Why is it translated as 'at' here?
Prepositions don't always match up perfectly with English. In Swedish, the verb tittar pairs with på when you want to say 'look at' or 'watch' something. So, tittar på is a set phrase meaning 'looks at'.
Where is the word for 'the' in this sentence?
Swedish attaches 'the' to the end of the noun! Because barn is an 'ett' word, it becomes barnet (the child). Because tidning is an 'en' word, it becomes tidningen (the newspaper).
How do you say 'is looking' instead of just 'looks'?
You already are! Swedish doesn't have a separate '-ing' form for verbs like English does. The simple present tense tittar covers both 'looks' and 'is looking' depending on the context.
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