Breakdown of Jag skulle föredra att äta desserten hos dig.
jag
I
att
to
äta
to eat
dig
you (singular)
hos
at the home or workplace of
skulle
would
föredra
to prefer
desserten
the dessert
Questions & Answers about Jag skulle föredra att äta desserten hos dig.
Why do we use skulle here, and what form is the verb föredra in?
Skulle translates to "would" and is used to create conditional sentences or polite requests. Just like in English, it acts as an auxiliary (helping) verb. Therefore, the main verb that follows it, föredra (prefer), must be in its infinitive (dictionary) form.
Why is there an att before äta? Couldn't I just say föredra äta?
You need the infinitive marker att (to) because föredra is a regular verb, not an auxiliary verb. When you link two regular verbs together in Swedish, the second verb usually needs att in front of it, just like in English: "prefer to eat". Notice that skulle is an auxiliary verb, which is why there is no att between skulle and föredra.
How exactly does hos dig mean "at your place"?
The preposition hos means "at the home of" or "at the location of" a person. So hos dig means "at your place", hos Anna means "at Anna's house", and hos tandläkaren means "at the dentist's".
Why does desserten end in -en?
The -en ending makes the noun definite. En dessert means "a dessert", while desserten means "the dessert". In English, we might just say "I'd prefer to eat dessert" in a general way, but this Swedish sentence points to a specific dessert that has likely already been mentioned or prepared.
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