Breakdown of När hon hade fönat håret letade hon efter deodoranten.
hon
she
ha
to have
när
when
leta efter
to look for (physical items, everyday)
håret
the hair
föna
to blow-dry
deodoranten
the deodorant
Questions & Answers about När hon hade fönat håret letade hon efter deodoranten.
This lesson is about using 'efter att ha' + supinum. Can we rewrite this sentence using that structure?
Yes! You can replace the subordinate clause När hon hade fönat håret with the perfect infinitive phrase: Efter att ha fönat håret letade hon efter deodoranten (After having blow-dried her hair, she looked for the deodorant). Both versions are correct, but using efter att ha makes the sentence a bit more elegant and native-sounding.
Why is it letade hon instead of hon letade in the second half of the sentence?
This is because of the V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire first part of the sentence (När hon hade fönat håret) acts as the first block of information. Therefore, the main verb (letade) must take the second position, pushing the subject (hon) to the third position.
The English translation says 'blow-dried her hair', but the Swedish says håret (the hair). Why not sitt hår or hennes hår?
In Swedish, when it is obvious whose body part or personal item is being talked about, you use the definite form instead of a possessive pronoun. Since she is blow-drying it herself, it is clear it is her own hair, making håret (the hair) the most natural choice.
Why do we need the word efter after the verb letade?
The Swedish verb for 'to look for' or 'to search for' is a phrasal verb: att leta efter. If you just say letade, it sounds incomplete, similar to saying 'she searched the deodorant' in English. You must include efter to get the meaning 'looked for'.
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