Skräpmaten avskyr han, men kycklingen älskar han.
The junk food he detests, but the chicken he loves.
Breakdown of Skräpmaten avskyr han, men kycklingen älskar han.
han
he
älska
to love
men
but
avsky
to detest
skräpmaten
the junk food
kycklingen
the chicken
Questions & Answers about Skräpmaten avskyr han, men kycklingen älskar han.
Why does this sentence start with skräpmaten and kycklingen instead of the subject han?
This is called object topicalization. By pulling the objects to the front of both clauses, the sentence creates a strong, direct contrast between the two foods. It emphasizes what he hates versus what he loves.
Since the object is first, why isn't it skräpmaten han avskyr?
Because of the Swedish V2 (verb-second) rule. In a main clause, the verb must always be in the second position. When you move the object (skräpmaten) to the first position for emphasis, the verb (avskyr) must immediately follow it, which pushes the subject (han) into the third position.
Why are skräpmaten and kycklingen in the definite form here?
In English, we usually talk about liking or disliking general categories of things in the indefinite form (like "He detests junk food"). In Swedish, it is very common to use the definite form for general categories, especially when expressing strong preferences or feelings about them.
Can I use hatar instead of avskyr here?
Yes, you could use hatar (hates). However, avskyr (detests or loathes) expresses a deeper, almost physical feeling of disgust or repulsion. It provides a great, dramatic contrast to älskar (loves) in the second half of the sentence.
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