Breakdown of Jag kan inte låta bli att äta godiset.
jag
I
inte
not
att
to
kunna
to be able to, can
äta
to eat
låta bli
to refrain
godiset
the candy
Questions & Answers about Jag kan inte låta bli att äta godiset.
How does låta bli att translate to "can't help" in this sentence?
Literally, låta bli means "let be". When you use it as låta bli att followed by a verb, it means to "refrain from" or "avoid" doing that action. When paired with kan inte (cannot), the whole phrase kan inte låta bli att directly translates to "cannot refrain from" or, more naturally in English, "can't help".
Does låta bli always require att before the next verb?
Yes! Unlike true auxiliary verbs (like kan or vill) which are followed directly by a bare verb, the phrase låta bli requires the infinitive marker att. So you must say att äta, not just äta, even though it translates to the "-ing" form ("eating") in English.
Since it translates to "eating the candy", why is godiset in the singular form?
In Swedish, godis (candy) is an uncountable noun, much like "water" or "rice" in English. It is an ett-word, so its definite form is godiset (the candy). Even if you are eating a whole bag of different sweets, you always refer to it in the singular.
How is låta bli att äta usually pronounced in casual speech?
As is very common in spoken Swedish, the word att is almost always pronounced as "å". In fast, casual speech, you will likely hear this sentence spoken as "Jag kan inte låta bli å äta godiset."
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