Breakdown of Pojken kan inte äta brödet eftersom han faktiskt har en allergi.
han
he
en
a, an (common)
inte
not
pojken
the boy
ha
to have
kunna
to be able to, can
äta
to eat
brödet
the bread
eftersom
since, because
faktiskt
actually (as a matter of fact, in fact)
allergin
the allergy
Questions & Answers about Pojken kan inte äta brödet eftersom han faktiskt har en allergi.
Why does faktiskt come before the verb har?
This part of the sentence is a subordinate clause starting with eftersom (because). In Swedish, we use the BIFF rule for these clauses: the sentence adverb, like faktiskt, inte, or alltid, must come before the first verb. That is why it is han faktiskt har instead of han har faktiskt.
Why does inte come after the verb kan in the first half?
The first half, Pojken kan inte äta brödet, is a main clause, meaning it can stand alone as a complete sentence. In main clauses, sentence adverbs like inte always come after the first verb. The BIFF rule only applies to subordinate clauses like the second half.
Is faktiskt related to the English word "factually"?
It is related, but faktiskt translates best to "actually" or "in fact". It is a very common sentence adverb used to add emphasis or show slight surprise, exactly how "actually" is used in English.
Why is the verb äta in its infinitive form instead of the present tense äter?
Äta (to eat) follows the modal verb kan (can). Just like in English, when you use a modal verb, the next verb must be in its base infinitive form. So we say kan äta, not kan äter.
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