Breakdown of Vi ser verkligen fram emot semestern.
vi
we
semestern
the vacation
verkligen
really
se fram emot
to look forward to
Questions & Answers about Vi ser verkligen fram emot semestern.
What does emot mean here, and can I just say se fram?
You need the full three-word phrase se fram emot to mean "look forward to". While emot on its own usually means "against" or "towards", here it acts as the specific preposition required by the verb phrase to connect it to the thing you are anticipating (semestern). You cannot leave it out!
Why is verkligen placed right in the middle of the phrase se fram emot?
This happens because of the V2 rule (the main verb must be the second idea in a main clause). The verb ser takes the second spot, and sentence adverbs like verkligen (really) must come immediately after it. The particles and prepositions of the phrasal verb (fram emot) get pushed until after the adverb.
I often mix up mot and emot. Could I say se fram mot instead?
No, for the phrase "look forward to", the correct preposition is always emot. While mot and emot are often interchangeable when talking about physical direction ("towards" a place), fixed verb collocations strictly require one or the other. You just have to memorize that se fram goes with emot.
How is the definite word semestern formed?