Breakdown of Vi tittar på tidtabellen, klockan är kvart i fyra.
vara
to be
vi
we
titta på
to look at
klockan
the clock
Questions & Answers about Vi tittar på tidtabellen, klockan är kvart i fyra.
Why do we use i in kvart i fyra? Doesn't i mean "in"?
Yes, i usually means "in", but when telling time in Swedish, it is the standard word for "to" or "before" the hour. So kvart i fyra means "a quarter to four". To say "past" the hour, you would use över instead, like kvart över fyra.
Why does the sentence use klockan är instead of det är to say "it is"?
When telling the time in Swedish, you don't use the direct translation of "it is" (det är). Instead, you always literally say "the clock is", which is klockan är.
Can I leave out på and just say Vi tittar tidtabellen?
No, you need the preposition på. Just like in English where you say "look at" something, in Swedish you use tittar på when looking at a specific object. Without på, it would sound like "we are watching the timetable" as if it were a movie.
How is the word tidtabellen broken down?
It is a compound word made of tid (time) and tabell (table or schedule), which forms tidtabell (timetable). The -en at the very end is the definite article, making it "the timetable".