Breakdown of Det lönar sig att vänta på rea.
det
it (neuter)
att
to
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
vänta
to wait / to expect (a baby)
rean
the sale
löna sig
to pay off, to be worth it
Questions & Answers about Det lönar sig att vänta på rea.
Why is the reflexive pronoun sig used here?
The verb att löna sig is a reflexive verb meaning to pay off or to be worth it. Without the reflexive pronoun, att löna means to reward or to compensate someone. Adding sig literally means it rewards itself, which naturally translates to being worthwhile.
Could I use för instead of på since the English translation is wait for?
No, att vänta på is a set prepositional verb in Swedish. Directly translating for to för is a very common trap. You must always use på when waiting for someone or something.
Why is there no article before rea? Shouldn't it be på en rea?
Just like the English phrase on sale, the Swedish phrase på rea describes a general state or condition rather than a specific physical event, so the article en is typically dropped.
Is rea a complete word or an abbreviation?
It is short for realisation. However, the full word is rarely used in spoken or everyday written Swedish today. You will almost exclusively see and hear rea, which functions fully as a standard noun.
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