Questions & Answers about Vi sitter aldrig och sover i solskenet.
Why is aldrig placed in the middle of sitter and och sover?
In a Swedish main clause, a sentence adverb like aldrig (never) usually goes right after the first verb. Since sitter is the first verb, aldrig has to step in right behind it, which splits up the sitter och sover phrase.
Does sitter och sover mean doing two separate things?
It can, but here it is the Swedish way to show an ongoing action, similar to the English -ing form. By combining a position word like sitter with an action like sover, it means you are currently sleeping while in a seated position. Swedish frequently uses these sit and, stand and, or lie and structures to show that an action is currently happening.
Could I use another position verb instead of sitter here?
Absolutely! If you were standing while doing it, you would say står och sover. If you were lying down, it would be ligger och sover. The choice of the first verb depends entirely on the physical position of the person doing the action.
Why does solsken have an -et at the end here?
Solsken is an ett-word meaning sunshine. To make it definite (the sunshine), you add -et to the end, making it solskenet. Swedish uses the definite form here after the preposition i, just like we say in the sunshine in English.