Question 1

Why is får translated as "have to" here, instead of "are allowed to"?

Accepted Answer

The verb få is notoriously tricky because it can mean "to get," "to be allowed to," or "must / have to." When få is paired with an unavoidable or less desirable action—like vänta (to wait), betala (to pay), or gå (to leave)—it almost always means you are forced to do it. The context tells us they aren't being granted permission to wait; they simply have no other choice.

Question 2

Why is the word order får vi instead of vi får in the second half of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

This is a strict application of the Swedish V2 (verb-second) rule. The second clause begins with the adverbial phrase med andra ord (in other words). Since that phrase occupies the first position in the clause, the verb får must immediately follow it in the second position, pushing the subject vi to the third position.

Question 3

Is it too informal to write sa instead of sade?

Accepted Answer

Not for everyday use. While sade is the traditional, formal written past tense of säga (to say), the phonetic spelling sa is now completely standard in almost all modern Swedish writing, including journalism and literature. You only need to use sade in highly formal, academic, or legal texts.

Question 4

Could I use a single word instead of the phrase med andra ord to mean the same thing here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you could use the word alltså. In Swedish, alltså is frequently used to express "therefore" or "in other words" when drawing a conclusion. The sentence could just as naturally be written as: Chefen sa nej, alltså får vi vänta.

Chefen sa nej, med andra ord får vi vänta.

Breakdown of Chefen sa nej, med andra ord får vi vänta.

Questions & Answers about Chefen sa nej, med andra ord får vi vänta.

Learn Chefen sa nej, med andra ord får vi vänta and more in Swedish