Breakdown of Hon fokuserar på filmen, men de håller på att borra ute.
hon
she
de
they
ute
outside
filmen
the film
Questions & Answers about Hon fokuserar på filmen, men de håller på att borra ute.
Why do we use håller på att borra for 'are drilling' but just fokuserar for 'is focusing'?
In Swedish, the regular present tense like fokuserar already means both 'focuses' and 'is focusing'. We only add håller på att to strongly emphasize that an action is currently ongoing and actively taking up time right now. Here, it highlights the continuous, distracting noise of the drilling.
What verb form is borra in this sentence?
It is in the infinitive form (to drill). The structure for this progressive aspect is always håller på att followed by the infinitive of the action verb. You can think of it as literally saying 'they are in the process of to drill'.
Why is the preposition på used after fokuserar?
Just like in English where you 'focus on' something, in Swedish you use the preposition på with this verb. På is the standard preposition to pair with fokuserar.
Why is the word for outside ute and not ut?
Ute is the location word for being outside. You use it when an action is happening out there, like the drilling in this sentence. You would only use ut if there was motion from the inside to the outside, like someone walking out the door.