Breakdown of Jag hade tid att rasta hunden åt dig.
jag
I
hunden
the dog
ha
to have
att
to
dig
you (singular)
tiden
the time
åt
for (on behalf of), to
rasta
to walk (a pet)
Questions & Answers about Jag hade tid att rasta hunden åt dig.
Why do we use åt instead of för or till for the word 'for' in this sentence?
The preposition åt is used when you do a chore or task on someone else's behalf, taking it off their hands. Here, you are doing the physical work of walking the dog so the other person doesn't have to. You would use till if you were physically giving something to someone, and för if you were doing something for their emotional benefit or sake.
Could I use the verb promenera instead of rasta to mean 'walk'?
No, promenera means that you yourself are taking a walk. To walk a dog, you must either use rasta (which specifically means to let an animal out to exercise and relieve itself) or the phrasal verb gå ut med (to go out with).
Why does the sentence use the definite form hunden (the dog) rather than saying 'your dog' (din hund)?
Just like in English, Swedish often uses the definite form when the owner is obvious from the context. Since you are doing this chore åt dig (for you), it is naturally understood that it is their dog. Saying din hund wouldn't be wrong, but hunden sounds more natural in this everyday context.
Is the word att necessary before rasta?
Yes. Just like in English where you say 'time to walk', in Swedish you use the infinitive marker att to connect the noun tid to the infinitive verb rasta. The phrase is always ha tid att (to have time to).
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