Breakdown of Hon vänjer sig aldrig vid solkrämen.
hon
she
aldrig
never
vänja sig vid
to get used to
solkrämen
the sunscreen
Questions & Answers about Hon vänjer sig aldrig vid solkrämen.
Why does this sentence use the preposition "vid" instead of "till" for "to"?
In Swedish, the verb vänja sig (to get used to) always pairs with the preposition vid. Prepositions rarely translate word-for-word from English, so it is best to memorize the whole phrase vänja sig vid as a single unit.
Why is the word "sig" necessary here?
Vänja is a reflexive verb, which means it needs a reflexive pronoun like mig, dig, or sig. You can think of it as literally meaning "accustoms oneself". If you left out sig, it would sound like she is getting someone else used to the sunscreen.
Why is "aldrig" placed after "sig" instead of before the verb?
In a standard main clause, sentence adverbs like aldrig (never) or inte (not) go after the verb. Because vänjer sig is a reflexive verb, the pronoun sig stays tightly glued to the verb, pushing aldrig to the position right after it: verb + reflexive pronoun + adverb.
What are the other tense forms of the verb "vänjer"?
The infinitive form is att vänja. It is a slightly irregular verb that changes its vowel in the past tense, so its forms are vänjer (present), vande (past), and vant (supine).