Breakdown of Jag är hos optikern nu.
jag
I
vara
to be
nu
now
hos
at the home or workplace of
optikern
the optician
Questions & Answers about Jag är hos optikern nu.
Why do we use hos here instead of på or i?
The preposition hos is used specifically to say you are at a person's home or workplace. Because optikern (the optician) refers to a person or a profession, you use hos. If you used i or på, it would literally sound like you are physically inside or on top of the optician!
Can I use hos for people other than professions?
Absolutely! The word hos translates perfectly to the English use of the apostrophe-s ('s) for locations. Just as hos optikern means 'at the optician's', you can say hos Anna (at Anna's place) or hos min vän (at my friend's house).
Why does the word optikern end in -n?
Optiker is an en-word. For words ending in -er (like many professions and nationalities), the definite form ('the optician') is made by just adding -n rather than the full -en. Swedish uses the definite form here because you are visiting a specific clinic, just like in English.
Can I move nu (now) to the beginning of the sentence?
Yes, but remember the 'verb second' (V2) rule! If you put the time word first to emphasize it, the verb (är) must come before the subject (jag). The sentence would then become: Nu är jag hos optikern.
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