Breakdown of Hon får inte köra bilen, eftersom hon inte har körkortet.
hon
she
bilen
the car
inte
not
ha
to have
Questions & Answers about Hon får inte köra bilen, eftersom hon inte har körkortet.
If someone asked Får hon köra bilen?, how would I use a short answer to reply 'No, she isn't'?
You would say Nej, det får hon inte. In Swedish, you form short answers using det plus the auxiliary verb from the question (here, får), followed by the subject (hon) and inte.
Doesn't får mean 'get'? Why does får inte mean 'is not allowed to' here?
The verb får does mean 'get' or 'receive' on its own. However, when it is used as a helping verb before another verb (like köra), it means 'may' or 'be allowed to'. Therefore, får inte means 'may not' or 'is not allowed to'.
Why is the word order hon inte har instead of hon har inte?
This happens because eftersom (because) starts a dependent clause (a sentence part that can't stand on its own). In a normal main clause, inte comes after the verb. But in a dependent clause, inte always moves before the verb. This is often taught to learners as the 'BIFF rule'.
Why use the definite form körkortet (the driver's license) instead of just ett körkort (a driver's license)?