Breakdown of Du måste andas och slappna av.
du
you (singular)
och
and
måste
to have to, must
andas
to breathe
slappna av
to relax
Questions & Answers about Du måste andas och slappna av.
Why does andas end in an '-s'? Is it a passive verb?
It looks like a passive verb, but andas is a 'deponent' verb. This means it naturally ends in '-s' but has a completely normal, active meaning. Here, it simply means 'to breathe'.
Is andas in the present tense here?
No, it is in the infinitive form because it comes after the modal verb måste (must). For deponent verbs like andas, the infinitive and the present tense look exactly the same!
Why is av added to the end of the sentence?
It belongs to slappna. Together, slappna av is a particle verb that means 'to relax'. The little word av completes the meaning of the verb, so you cannot leave it out.
Why is it slappna and not slappnar?
Just like andas, slappna av is connected to the modal verb måste (must) by the word och (and). Because of this, it must also be in the infinitive form (slappna) rather than the present tense (slappnar).
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