Breakdown of Han är dubbelbokad, så han kan inte heller hjälpa oss.
vara
to be
han
he
inte
not
hjälpa
to help
kunna
to be able to, can
oss
us
så
so
heller
either (in negative sentences, e.g. not either)
dubbelbokad
double-booked
Questions & Answers about Han är dubbelbokad, så han kan inte heller hjälpa oss.
Why is heller placed before the infinitive verb hjälpa instead of at the end of the sentence like "either" in English?
In Swedish, heller acts as a sentence adverb. In a main clause, sentence adverbs come directly after the first (finite) verb—which here is kan—and before the second verb (hjälpa). While English puts "either" at the very end of the sentence, Swedish tightly clusters inte and heller together.
Can heller be used on its own to mean "neither", or does it always need inte?
It needs a negative word to pair with. The word heller means "either" in the sense of adding to a negative statement, but it does not negate the verb by itself. You must pair it with a negative word like inte (not), aldrig (never), or ingen (nobody). Together, inte heller gives us "not ... either" or "neither".
Why do we use the word order han kan instead of inverting it to kan han after så?
In this sentence, så is a coordinating conjunction meaning "so" or "therefore", and it connects two independent main clauses. Because it sits between the clauses as a link rather than occupying the first position of the new clause, it does not trigger the V2 (verb-second) rule. The new clause simply starts with the subject: han kan.
How does the word dubbelbokad change if the subject is plural?
Because dubbelbokad is a past participle functioning as an adjective after the verb är (to be), it must agree in number with the subject. If the subject were plural, you would need to add the plural ending -e to the -ad suffix, making it dubbelbokade. For example: De är dubbelbokade.
Learn Han är dubbelbokad, så han kan inte heller hjälpa oss 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