Breakdown of Jag hoppas att du kan slappna av nu.
jag
I
du
you (singular)
nu
now
kunna
to be able to, can
att
that
hoppas
to hope
slappna av
to relax
Questions & Answers about Jag hoppas att du kan slappna av nu.
Why does hoppas end in an -s? Does that make it a passive verb?
Even though it ends in -s, hoppas is an active verb meaning 'to hope'. Verbs like this are called deponent verbs. They always end in -s in all their forms, but they do not have a passive meaning. Other common examples you might see are minns (remember) and andas (breathe).
How does slappna av work? Do I need both words to say 'relax'?
Yes, slappna av is a phrasal verb, which is a verb combined with a small particle. You need the av to mean 'relax' in the sense of winding down. When speaking, Swedes usually put a little extra stress on the word av.
Can I drop the word att in this sentence, like we drop 'that' in English?
Yes! In everyday spoken Swedish, it is very common to drop att here. Saying Jag hoppas du kan slappna av nu sounds perfectly natural. Keeping att is just slightly more formal and always safe in writing.
Why isn't slappna written as slappnar for the present tense?
Because it comes right after the helping verb kan (can). Whenever you use a modal verb like kan, vill, or måste, the verb that follows it must be in the infinitive (dictionary) form.
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