Question 1

Why does the verb stänga (to close) become stängt here instead of ending in -at?

Accepted Answer

Stänga is a Group 2 verb. To make the supinum form (the verb form used after har), Group 2 verbs drop their final -a and add a -t. That is why it becomes stängt. Group 1 verbs are the ones that take the -at ending.

Question 2

How do we know to use har stängt (have closed) instead of the simple past tense stängde (closed)?

Accepted Answer

We use har plus the supinum because the action has a direct connection to the present. By saying Vi har stängt, you are emphasizing the current result: the shop is closed right now. If you were just narrating what happened at a specific time in the past, you would use the past tense stängde.

Question 3

Why is there a -t at the end of tidigt (early)?

Accepted Answer

In this sentence, tidigt is an adverb because it describes the action of the verb (when you closed the shop). In Swedish, you usually turn an adjective (tidig) into an adverb by adding a -t. This makes it look exactly like the neuter (ett-word) form of the adjective.

Question 4

Is it okay to write idag as two words (i dag)?

Accepted Answer

Yes, both idag and i dag are perfectly correct and mean exactly the same thing. Writing it as a single word is very common in modern, everyday Swedish.

Vi har stängt butiken tidigt idag.

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