Breakdown of Han tar aldrig bussen, utan bara tåget.
han
he
aldrig
never
ta
to take
bussen
the bus
tåget
the train
bara
only, just
utan
but rather
Questions & Answers about Han tar aldrig bussen, utan bara tåget.
Why is utan used here instead of men for 'but'?
In Swedish, you use utan (but rather) instead of men (but) when you are directly correcting a negative statement. Since the first part of the sentence is negative (Han tar aldrig bussen), we use utan to introduce the actual thing he does instead.
What makes the first part of the sentence negative if the word inte (not) isn't there?
The word aldrig (never) makes the statement negative. Words like aldrig, ingen (no one), and inget (nothing) count as negative words, so they trigger the use of utan just like inte would.
Why are bussen and tåget in the definite form (the bus, the train)?
Just like in English ('He takes the bus'), Swedish uses the definite form for public transportation when talking about the general method of travel. You say tar bussen or tar tåget to describe how someone gets around.
Why does bara (only) come after utan? Could it go before it?
No, bara needs to stay with the word it describes, which is tåget (the train). Utan works as a bridge connecting the two contrasting halves of the sentence, so it must come first: utan bara tåget (but rather only the train).
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