Questions & Answers about Jag lyssnar men jag förstår inte.
Why does the Swedish sentence use lyssnar instead of a specific form for "am listening"?
In Swedish, there is no separate "am doing" form (present continuous) like there is in English. The regular present tense verb lyssnar translates to both "listen" and "am listening" depending on the context.
Is it correct to use lyssnar without the word på here?
Yes! You only need to add på if you are specifying what you are listening to, such as in jag lyssnar på radio (I am listening to the radio). Because you are just saying "I am listening" in general, lyssnar is used on its own.
Why does inte come after the verb förstår?
In standard Swedish main clauses, the word for "not" (inte) comes immediately after the verb. Both halves of this sentence are main clauses connected by men (but), so the basic rule applies: subject (jag) followed by the verb (förstår) and then the negation (inte).
Do I have to repeat the word jag after men?
No, you don't have to! Just like in English, you can drop the second subject if it is exactly the same as the first one. Saying Jag lyssnar men förstår inte is perfectly correct and very common in everyday spoken Swedish.
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