Breakdown of Man måste läsa den där skylten.
läsa
to read
måste
to have to, must
man
one, you (people in general)
den där
that (en)
skylten
the sign (signboard)
Questions & Answers about Man måste läsa den där skylten.
Why is man translated as 'you' here instead of du?
Man is a generic pronoun, similar to 'one' in formal English (as in 'One must read that sign'). However, since English speakers rarely use 'one' in daily life, we usually translate man as the general 'you'. It means people in general have to read the sign, not just the specific person you are talking to.
If the sign was doing something to the generic 'you', would I still use man?
No. Man is only used for the subject (the doer of the action). If the generic 'you' or 'one' is the object receiving the action, you must use en. For example, 'Skylten varnar en' (The sign warns you/one).
Why does the sentence use läsa (to read) instead of the present tense läser?
Because it comes right after the helper verb måste (must). In Swedish, just like in English, verbs that follow these types of modal verbs drop their tense and stay in the infinitive (dictionary) form. So it is måste läsa (must read), never måste läser.
Why does it say den där skylten (that the-sign) instead of just den där skylt?
This is a great reminder of the Swedish 'double definite' rule. When you point something out using the demonstrative words den här (this) or den där (that), the noun that follows must also have its definite ending attached to the end of it. You are literally saying 'that there the-sign'.
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