Breakdown of Sexton studenter väntar på läraren.
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
studenten
the student
läraren
the teacher
vänta
to wait / to expect (a baby)
Questions & Answers about Sexton studenter väntar på läraren.
Why do we use på instead of för for "for"?
In Swedish, the verb väntar (wait) pairs with the preposition på when you are waiting for someone or something. It translates literally to "waiting on", but it is the standard way to say "waiting for" in this context.
Does väntar mean "wait" or "are waiting"?
It means both! Swedish does not have a separate "are doing" verb form like English does. The single present tense verb väntar covers both "wait" and "are waiting".
How do we get the plural form studenter?
The singular word is en student (a student). Because it is an en-word, it follows a common pattern where you add -er to the end to make it plural, becoming studenter (students).
Why does läraren end in -n?
This is the definite form, meaning "the teacher". The base word for "a teacher" is en lärare. For en-words that already end in a vowel, like lärare, you simply add -n to the end to make it definite.