Questions & Answers about Barnvakten är lat och vägrar byta blöjan.
How would this sentence change if the subject was a neuter word like "barnet" (the child)?
This is where you hit a snag! The adjective lat (lazy) is defective, meaning it doesn't have a neuter singular form (you cannot say latt). Because barnvakten is an en-word, lat works perfectly here. But if you wanted to talk about a lazy child, you would have to rephrase entirely or use a synonym, such as barnet är slött (using the adjective slö instead).
Why is there no "att" before byta (to change)? Doesn't vägrar need it?
The infinitive marker att is often dropped after certain verbs in modern Swedish. While vägra can take att (as in vägrar att byta), it is extremely common in everyday speech and writing to drop it, treating vägra almost like an auxiliary verb. Both versions are correct!
Why must we use byta here instead of ändra for "change"?
Byta means to exchange or replace one physical thing with another, such as taking off a dirty diaper and putting on a clean one (or changing clothes, or changing trains). Ändra means to alter or modify something that already exists, like changing your mind, a plan, or a password.
What is the literal translation of barnvakten?