Questions & Answers about Han äter alltid hälften av kakan själv.
Why use hälften av here instead of en halv?
Hälften is a noun meaning "the half." You use hälften av when talking about a proportion of a specific, existing thing—in this case, half of the cake. En halv is a fraction used as an adjective to describe an indefinite amount, like en halv kaka (a half cake).
Why is the noun in the definite form (kakan) after hälften av?
Because he is eating half of a specific cake. When you use hälften av (half of), the noun that follows almost always needs to be in the definite form, just like we say "half of the cake" in English.
Why does the word alltid come after the verb äter?
In standard Swedish main clauses, small descriptive words called sentence adverbs—like alltid (always), inte (not), and ofta (often)—are placed immediately after the first verb. This helps keep the verb in the strict second position, a fundamental pattern known as the V2 rule.
What is the difference between ending the sentence with själv versus sig själv?