Breakdown of Tåget avgår om en timme.
en
a, an (common)
tåget
the train
avgå
to depart
om
in (time from now)
timmen
the hour
Questions & Answers about Tåget avgår om en timme.
The translation refers to the future, but isn't avgår in the present tense?
Yes, it is! In Swedish, it is very common to use the present tense to talk about the future, as long as you include a time phrase that makes it clear when it happens. Here, the phrase om en timme (in an hour) tells us this is a future event, so the present tense verb avgår naturally acts as the future tense.
I thought om meant "about" or "if". Why does it translate to "in" here?
You are right that om often means "about" or "if" in other contexts. However, when you are talking about how long it will take from now until a future event happens, om is the preposition used for "in". So, om en timme means "in an hour" and om två dagar means "in two days".
Can I just say går instead of avgår?
Yes, you absolutely can! Tåget går om en timme sounds very natural and is what people usually say in everyday speech. Avgår (departs) is slightly more formal and is the exact word you will see on the departure boards at the train station.
Is "hour" an en-word or an ett-word?
It is an en-word: en timme (an hour). Pay attention to the spelling with two M's! When you make it plural, it becomes timmar (hours).
Learn Tåget avgår om en timme and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free