Breakdown of Du måste tolka texten under lektionen.
du
you (singular)
måste
to have to, must
lektionen
the lesson
texten
the text
under
during
tolka
to interpret
Questions & Answers about Du måste tolka texten under lektionen.
Wait, doesn't under mean "under" or "below"? Why is it used for time here?
It does! Physically, under means "underneath." But when used as a temporal preposition (a word describing time), it means "during." So under lektionen translates to "during the lesson."
Could I say på lektionen instead of under lektionen?
Yes, but the meaning shifts slightly. På lektionen simply means you do it at or in the lesson. Using under lektionen specifically emphasizes the ongoing period of time, meaning during or while the lesson is taking place.
Why is there no att (to) before tolka?
Måste (must) is a modal verb. Just like in English, Swedish modal verbs are followed directly by the infinitive form of the next verb without using att. You say must interpret (måste tolka), not must to interpret.
What is the difference between tolka and översätta?
Översätta means to translate from one language to another, usually in writing. Tolka means to interpret, which can mean verbally translating on the fly, or—as is likely in this sentence—analyzing a text to figure out its deeper meaning.
Learn Du måste tolka texten under lektionen and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free