Breakdown of Han bryter alltid löftet att aldrig äta godis.
han
he
alltid
always
att
to
aldrig
never
äta
to eat
bryta
to break
godiset
the candy
löftet
the promise
Questions & Answers about Han bryter alltid löftet att aldrig äta godis.
How does the phrase att aldrig äta godis work with the word löftet?
It acts as a noun complement. The phrase att aldrig äta godis (to never eat candy) describes exactly what löftet (the promise) is. In Swedish, you often use att plus an infinitive verb immediately after nouns like ett löfte (a promise), en plan (a plan), or ett beslut (a decision) to explain what they entail.
Why does the adverb aldrig come before the verb äta here?
In an infinitive phrase starting with att, sentence adverbs like aldrig (never) or inte (not) are placed before the verb. This is why it is att aldrig äta (to never eat). This is different from a normal main clause, where the adverb usually follows the verb.
Speaking of main clauses, why is alltid placed after bryter?
This follows the strict V2 rule of Swedish main clauses. The verb bryter must be in the second position. Because the subject Han is in the first position, the sentence adverb alltid (always) goes after the verb. This creates a great contrast in this sentence: alltid goes after the main verb, but aldrig goes before the infinitive verb!
What is the base form of the word löftet?
The base form is ett löfte (a promise). Because it is an ett-word that ends in a vowel, you just add -t to the end to make it the definite form löftet (the promise).
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