Breakdown of Innan vi blandar mjölet, tillsätter vi sockret.
vi
we
innan
before
sockret
the sugar
blanda
to mix
mjölet
the flour
tillsätta
to add
Questions & Answers about Innan vi blandar mjölet, tillsätter vi sockret.
Why is it tillsätter vi instead of vi tillsätter?
Because the sentence starts with a subordinate clause (Innan vi blandar mjölet), that entire phrase counts as the first block of information. Swedish uses the V2 rule, meaning the main verb must come in the second position. So, the main verb tillsätter comes next, swapping places with the subject vi.
Why isn't the verb inverted in the first part (innan vi blandar)?
The first part is a subordinate clause, introduced by innan. Subordinate clauses usually stick to a strict subject-verb order, so it stays vi blandar. The V2 inversion rule only applies to the main clause that comes after it.
Wait, doesn't innan mean "before"? Could I use före here instead?
No, because innan is a conjunction used before a full clause (a subject and a verb, like vi blandar). You use före as a preposition before a noun, for example före frukost (before breakfast).
Are both mjölet and sockret in the definite form ("the flour" and "the sugar")?
Yes! Both mjöl and socker are "ett" words. To make them definite, you add -et to the end. Notice that for socker, the final 'e' drops out to make it easier to say, becoming sockret instead of "sockeret".
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