Breakdown of Kollektivavtalet är bra i sig, men medarbetarna vill ha högre lön.
vara
to be
bra
good / well
i
in
ha
to have
vilja
to want to
sig
oneself / himself / herself / themselves
men
but
hög
high / loudly
lönen
the salary
kollektivavtalet
the collective agreement
medarbetaren
the employee
Questions & Answers about Kollektivavtalet är bra i sig, men medarbetarna vill ha högre lön.
I learned that medarbetare belongs to Group 5. Why is the definite plural medarbetarna instead of medarbetarena?
Nouns in Group 5 that end in -are drop their final -e when adding the definite plural suffix -na. This dropping of a vowel is called syncopation. It makes the word flow much better in speech, so medarbetare plus -na becomes medarbetarna rather than the clunky medarbetarena.
Why do we need ha in vill ha högre lön? Doesn't vill already mean "want"?
In Swedish, the auxiliary verb vill really means "want to" and must be followed by a verb. When you want a noun (like a higher salary), you must use vill ha (literally "want to have"). Saying vill högre lön would sound like "want to higher salary" and is grammatically incorrect. This is a common trap for English speakers.
How exactly does the phrase i sig work here?
It is a fixed expression meaning "in itself" or "per se". Just like in English, you use it to evaluate something on its own merits before introducing a contrast or complication. Even though kollektivavtalet is an ett word, you always use the exact phrase i sig here, never i sitt.
Is kollektivavtal a common word to encounter in everyday Swedish?
Yes, it is a crucial term in Swedish working life. A kollektivavtal is a collective bargaining agreement between an employer and a trade union. Since Sweden does not have a legally mandated minimum wage, these agreements are what actually set the standards for pay, vacation, and working conditions.
Learn Kollektivavtalet är bra i sig, men medarbetarna vill ha högre lön 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