Breakdown of Jag hinner inte förbereda middagen idag.
jag
I
idag
today
inte
not
hinna
to have time to
middagen
the dinner
förbereda
to prepare
Questions & Answers about Jag hinner inte förbereda middagen idag.
Why is there no att before förbereda when the English translation says to prepare?
Hinner is a special verb in Swedish that works like a modal verb (like can or must). When you use hinner (have time to), the next verb must be in its bare infinitive form, without att. So it is always just hinner förbereda, never hinner att förbereda.
Does hinner literally mean have or time?
Hinner is a single verb that means to have enough time to do something, or to make it on time. Swedish uses this one handy verb instead of translating have and time separately. You do not need to add the Swedish word for time (tid) here!
Why is inte placed after hinner instead of before it?
In Swedish main clauses, the verb must come in the second position (the V2 rule). Here, Jag is in position 1, so the verb hinner must be in position 2. Negative words like inte (not) usually come right after that first verb.
Why does the Swedish sentence use middagen (the dinner) instead of just middag (dinner)?
In English, we usually leave out the word the and just say prepare dinner. Swedish prefers to use the definite form (middagen) when referring to a specific, expected daily meal that both the speaker and listener are aware of.
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