Breakdown of Han spelar i ett band vid sidan av skolan.
ett
a, an (neuter)
han
he
spela
to play
skolan
the school
Questions & Answers about Han spelar i ett band vid sidan av skolan.
Does vid sidan av mean physically next to the school, or is it figurative here?
It is figurative here, meaning "in addition to" or "alongside" his studies. While vid sidan av can literally mean physically "by the side of" a building, it is very commonly used as an idiom for a secondary activity, much like having a side hobby or a side hustle.
Why does Swedish use the definite form skolan when the English translation just says "school"?
Swedish frequently uses the definite form for societal institutions like school, work, or church when referring to the general concept or routine rather than a specific building. Just as you say att gå i skolan for "to go to school", you use skolan here to refer to his ongoing education.
Could I use the preposition bredvid instead of the phrase vid sidan av?
Not in this context. Bredvid strictly means physically "next to" or "beside" something. Because this sentence is about balancing a band with his studies, you need the phrase vid sidan av to capture that figurative "alongside" meaning.
Can I use förutom instead of vid sidan av?
You could, but it changes the nuance slightly. Förutom skolan simply means "besides school" or "apart from school". Using vid sidan av skolan emphasizes that the band is a parallel activity that runs alongside his main priority, which is his education.