Breakdown of Vi ser räven smyga bakom busken.
vi
we
se
to see
bakom
behind
räven
the fox
smyga
to sneak
busken
the bush
Questions & Answers about Vi ser räven smyga bakom busken.
Why is smyga in the infinitive form here?
Ser (see) is a verb of perception. In Swedish, when you use a verb of perception followed by an object (like räven), the next verb takes the bare infinitive, which is the infinitive without att. This matches the English structure exactly: we say "see the fox sneak".
Can I put att before smyga?
No. Just like you wouldn't say "We see the fox to sneak" in English, you must leave out the att after an object that follows a perception verb in Swedish.
If I want to translate this as "We see the fox sneaking", do I still use smyga?
Yes! English often uses an "-ing" word for this, but Swedish strongly prefers the bare infinitive smyga after verbs of perception like se and höra. You do not need to use the Swedish present participle for this meaning.
What is the base form of busken?
The base form is en buske (a bush). Because it is an en-word that already ends in a vowel, you just add an -n to make it definite: busken (the bush).
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