Breakdown of Du måste lova att aldrig smälla i dörren.
du
you (singular)
i
in
att
to
måste
to have to, must
aldrig
never
dörren
the door
lova
to promise
smälla
to slam
Questions & Answers about Du måste lova att aldrig smälla i dörren.
Why is aldrig placed between att and smälla?
In Swedish infinitive phrases, sentence adverbs like aldrig (never) or inte (not) go right between the infinitive marker att and the verb. This matches the current lesson's rule and works just like a split infinitive in English ('to never slam').
Why do we need the preposition i in smälla i dörren?
The phrase smälla i dörren is a set expression meaning 'to slam the door'. The i indicates slamming the door shut into its frame. Without the preposition, smälla usually just means 'to pop' or 'to explode'.
Why is there an att before smälla but not before lova?
Because måste is a modal verb, it takes the bare infinitive lova without a marker, just like 'must promise' in English. However, lova connects to the next action using a full infinitive phrase, so you need the infinitive marker att (to) before smälla.
Could I use igen instead of i here?
Yes! smälla igen dörren is another very common way to say 'slam the door shut'. The particle igen means 'closed' or 'shut' in this context, and both options are very natural.
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