Breakdown of De skjuter inte upp raketen förrän astronauten är klar.
vara
to be
de
they
inte
not
klar
ready / finished (doing something)
astronauten
the astronaut
förrän
until (in negative sentences)
skjuta upp
to launch (rockets, spacecraft)
raketen
the rocket
Questions & Answers about De skjuter inte upp raketen förrän astronauten är klar.
Why do we use förrän for 'until' here instead of tills?
In Swedish, you must use förrän for 'until' when the main clause is negative (meaning it contains a negative word like inte, aldrig, or ingen). Because this sentence says De skjuter inte... (They do not...), we are forced to use förrän. If the first part of the sentence were positive, like 'They wait until...', you would use tills instead.
I learned that skjuta means 'to shoot'. How does it mean 'launch' here?
In this sentence, it is part of the phrasal verb skjuta upp, which translates literally to 'shoot up'. When talking about space rockets or fireworks, skjuta upp is the standard way to say 'to launch'. As a side note, skjuta upp can also mean 'to postpone' or 'delay', but the mention of a rocket makes 'launch' the most logical choice here!
Why does inte go between skjuter and upp?
In a standard main clause, the negative word inte goes immediately after the conjugated verb (here, skjuter). The word upp is a particle that belongs to the verb, but it has to wait its turn, so it gets pushed to the other side of inte.
Does klar always mean 'ready'?
Klar is a very flexible word that can mean 'ready', 'finished', or 'clear' (like clear glass or a clear sky). In this specific context, astronauten är klar means the astronaut has finished their preparations and is 'ready' to go.
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