Breakdown of Har han fixat cykeln själv?
han
he
ha
to have
cykeln
the bicycle
fixa
to fix
själv
oneself (emphatic)
Questions & Answers about Har han fixat cykeln själv?
Why do we use själv here instead of själva or självt?
The word for oneself changes to match the subject it refers to. Here, the subject is han (he), which takes the basic singular form själv. If the subject were plural, like de (they), you would use själva. If it were a singular ett-word like barnet (the child), you would use självt.
Could I put själv earlier in the sentence, like right after han?
In Swedish, when själv means that the subject did something without help, it usually goes at the end of the clause, after the object (cykeln). Putting it right after the subject is sometimes possible for heavy emphasis, but placing it at the end is the most natural and common word order.
Why is the bicycle spelled cykeln and not cykelen?
The base word is en cykel. For nouns ending in -el, -er, or -en, Swedish usually drops the extra e before adding the definite ending to make them easier to pronounce. So, cykel plus the definite ending shrinks down to cykeln.
Is fixat the simple past tense of fixa?
No, fixat is the supine form, which is used together with the helper verb har to create the present perfect tense (har fixat meaning has fixed). The simple past tense (fixed) would be fixade. Because fixa is a regular group 1 verb, its supine form simply ends in -t.
Learn Har han fixat cykeln själv 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