Breakdown of Mamma blir orolig när du är sen.
vara
to be
du
you (singular)
när
when
mamman
the mother
bli
to become
sen
late (adjective)
orolig
worried, anxious
Questions & Answers about Mamma blir orolig när du är sen.
Since this lesson covers defective adjectives, what would happen if the subjects in this sentence were neuter (ett) words instead?
Unlike defective adjectives such as rädd or lat, both orolig and sen have regular neuter forms. If you were talking about a child (ett barn) and a train (ett tåg), you would simply add a -t: Barnet blir oroligt när tåget är sent.
Why does the Swedish sentence use blir orolig instead of är orolig?
blir emphasizes a change in state, translating perfectly to getting or becoming worried. If you used är orolig, it would mean Mum is in a constant, ongoing state of being worried, rather than her worry being triggered by the fact that you are late.
Is the adjective sen (late) the same word as the sen we use to mean 'then' or 'later'?
They look and sound identical but are different words. The sen in this sentence is an adjective meaning late. The other sen is just a spoken abbreviation of the adverb sedan (then, later, since) that has become standard in writing too. You can tell this one is an adjective because it directly describes the pronoun du.
Why is it just Mamma and not the definite form Mamman?
In Swedish, close family terms like mamma, pappa, or mormor are treated essentially like proper names when you are talking about your own relatives. You drop the definite article just as you would with a name like Anna or Johan.
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