Breakdown of Vi håller på att laga maten, så han kan koncentrera sig på samtalet.
han
he
vi
we
laga
to cook
maten
the food
kunna
to be able to, can
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
så
so
hålla på att
to be doing (progressive)
koncentrera sig
to concentrate
samtalet
the conversation / the call
Questions & Answers about Vi håller på att laga maten, så han kan koncentrera sig på samtalet.
How does håller på att change the meaning of the verb laga?
It emphasizes that the action is happening right now, just like the English '-ing' form. While vi lagar mat means 'we cook' or 'we are cooking', using håller på att before the infinitive verb laga strongly stresses that we are in the middle of doing it right at this moment.
Why is there a sig after koncentrera?
In Swedish, the verb for 'to concentrate' is reflexive: att koncentrera sig (literally, 'to concentrate oneself'). Since the person concentrating is han (he), the correct reflexive pronoun to use is sig.
Why is the word på used twice in this sentence?
They belong to two completely different phrases! The first på is just a fixed part of the progressive expression håller på att. The second på belongs to the verb phrase koncentrera sig på, matching how we say 'concentrate on' in English.
Could I drop the -en and just say laga mat instead of laga maten?
Yes, you can! Att laga mat is the general phrase for 'to cook'. However, saying laga maten (to cook the food) is very natural in Swedish when you are talking about preparing a specific, planned meal, like tonight's dinner.
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