Breakdown of Vi njöt av stunden då solen gick ner.
vi
we
gå
to go, to walk
solen
the sun
njuta av
to enjoy
ner
down (motion)
då
when (relative)
stunden
the moment
Questions & Answers about Vi njöt av stunden då solen gick ner.
Why do we use då here instead of när for "when"?
When referring back to a specific noun of time (like stunden, the moment), Swedish uses the relative adverb då (meaning "at which time" or "when"). När is mainly used as a conjunction to start a general time clause, rather than describing a preceding noun.
Why do we say njöt av instead of just njöt?
The verb att njuta (to enjoy) requires the preposition av when it is followed by an object. In Swedish, you always enjoy of something, so "enjoyed the moment" becomes njöt av stunden.
Does stunden mean "the hour"?
No, en stund means "a moment" or "a while", so stunden translates to "the moment". If you wanted to say "the hour", you would use the word timmen.
Why is it gick ner and not just gick?
Att gå ner is a particle verb meaning "to go down" or "to set". Gick by itself is the past tense of att gå (to walk/go), but paired with the particle ner (down), it describes the sun setting.
Learn Vi njöt av stunden då solen gick ner 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