Breakdown of Du måste uppdatera dokumentet varje vecka.
du
you (singular)
måste
to have to, must
veckan
the week
dokumentet
the document
varje
every, each
uppdatera
to update
Questions & Answers about Du måste uppdatera dokumentet varje vecka.
Why do we use the indefinite form vecka after varje instead of the definite veckan?
The word varje means "every", and in Swedish it is always followed by a noun in its indefinite singular form. Just like in English you say "every week" and not "every the week", in Swedish you say varje vecka.
How can I tell if dokument is an en or ett word just by looking at this sentence?
You can tell by looking at the ending of dokumentet. The -et suffix is the definite ending meaning "the" for ett words. If it were an en word, it would end in -en.
Why is the verb uppdatera in its infinitive form here?
Because it comes after måste (must), which is a modal verb. Just like in English, modal verbs in Swedish are followed directly by the infinitive form of the main verb, without adding any extra words like att (to).
If I wanted to emphasize the time and start the sentence with Varje vecka, how would the word order change?
Because Swedish has a strict "verb-second" (V2) rule, the finite verb måste must always be in the second position. If you put Varje vecka in the first position, the subject and verb must swap places: Varje vecka måste du uppdatera dokumentet.
Learn Du måste uppdatera dokumentet varje vecka and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free