Log inSign up

I stort sett håller jag med dig.

I stort sett håller jag med dig.
Broadly speaking, I agree with you.
From Lesson 312:Multi-word connectors (med andra ord, i stort sett)·Swedish

Questions & Answers about I stort sett håller jag med dig.

How does the phrase i stort sett translate to "broadly speaking"? What does sett mean here?
I stort sett is a fixed idiom meaning "by and large," "basically," or "broadly speaking." The word sett is the supine form of the verb se (to see), so the phrase literally translates to something like "seen in large" or "seen from a broad perspective."
Why is the word order håller jag instead of jag håller?
This is the Swedish V2 (verb-second) rule in action. Because the sentence starts with the adverbial phrase I stort sett, the verb håller must immediately follow it in the second position, pushing the subject jag into the third position.
How does the verb håller become "agree" in this sentence?
On its own, hålla means "to hold." However, Swedish frequently uses phrasal verbs where adding a particle changes the meaning entirely. Adding med creates the phrasal verb hålla med, which is the standard way to express agreeing with someone or something.
Since hålla med is a phrasal verb, which word gets the stress when spoken?
In Swedish phrasal verbs, the emphasis is placed on the particle, not the verb itself. To sound natural when speaking this sentence, you should place a strong spoken stress on med rather than on håller.

Learn I stort sett håller jag med dig 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
Start learning Swedish →