Breakdown of De besöker ibland marknaden på våren.
de
they
ibland
sometimes
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
besöka
to visit
våren
the spring
marknaden
the market
Questions & Answers about De besöker ibland marknaden på våren.
Why do we use på instead of i for "in the spring"?
When talking about a habit or something that happens regularly during a season, Swedish uses the preposition på. If you used i vår, it would mean "this coming spring" instead of "springs in general."
Why is våren in the definite form here?
For recurring seasons, Swedish pairs på with the definite form of the noun. So på våren (literally "on the spring") is the standard phrase for "in spring" or "every spring."
Could I use the plural form and say på vårarna instead?
Yes! Both på våren (singular definite) and på vårarna (plural definite) mean the same thing when talking about a habit. You will hear Swedes use both to mean "in the spring" or "every spring."
Why does ibland come after the verb besöker?
In a Swedish main clause, the verb must be the second piece of information. Because De is in the first position, the verb besöker must come next, pushing adverbs like ibland (sometimes) to the spot right after the verb.
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