Breakdown of ”Tycker han om att skämta?” ”Nej, han är faktiskt allvarlig.”
vara
to be
han
he
nej
no
tycka om
to like
att
to
faktiskt
actually (as a matter of fact, in fact)
skämta
to joke
allvarlig
serious
Questions & Answers about ”Tycker han om att skämta?” ”Nej, han är faktiskt allvarlig.”
How would I give a standard short answer like 'No, he doesn't' to this question?
You would say Nej, det gör han inte. Since the question uses the main verb tycker, the short answer uses the 'do' verb (gör). The pattern is Nej + det + gör + subject (han) + inte.
Why didn't the speaker use a short answer like Nej, det gör han inte here?
While a short answer is perfectly natural, the speaker chose to immediately explain why he doesn't like to joke. You don't have to use the short answer pattern if you are jumping straight into a descriptive sentence like han är faktiskt allvarlig (he is actually serious).
Why is there an att before skämta?
The phrase tycker om means 'likes', and skämta is the infinitive verb 'joke'. In Swedish, just like in English, you need an infinitive marker between them: 'likes to joke' becomes tycker om att skämta.
I've seen faktiskt before. Does it mean 'factual'?
It is related, but it translates best to 'actually' or 'in fact'. In this sentence, han är faktiskt allvarlig means 'he is actually serious.' It is commonly used to politely correct an assumption.
Learn ”Tycker han om att skämta?” ”Nej, han är faktiskt allvarlig.” 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