Grammar13: Using Negation and Asking Questions in the Present Tense

Lesson 13: Using Negation and Asking Questions in the Present Tense

Negation och frågor i presens

Lesson Objectives:

• Learn how to form negative sentences in the present tense (presens) in Swedish.
• Practice how to ask yes/no and open-ended questions using verbs in the present tense.
• Build confidence in basic conversation through questions and answers.

Part 1: Making Negative Sentences

In Swedish, negation is usually done with the word inte (not).

Word Order:

Swedish follows this structure:
Subject + Verb + inte + other parts of the sentence

Affirmative	Negative	English
Jag arbetar idag.	Jag arbetar inte idag.	I am (not) working today.
Hon bor i Stockholm.	Hon bor inte i Stockholm.	She does not live in Stockholm.
Vi studerar svenska.	Vi studerar inte svenska.	We are not studying Swedish.

Note: If the sentence contains an auxiliary verb (e.g., kan, vill, ska), inte goes after the auxiliary:

• Jag kan inte komma. (I can't come.)
• Hon vill inte gå. (She doesn't want to go.)

Practice: Turn into Negative

1. Han spelar gitarr.
2. De går till skolan.
3. Jag äter kött.

✅ Answers:

1. Han spelar inte gitarr.
2. De går inte till skolan.
3. Jag äter inte kött.

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 Part 2: Asking Questions in the Present Tense

Swedish has two main types of questions:

1️⃣ Yes/No Questions

In Swedish, the word order for yes/no questions is:
Verb + Subject + Rest of the sentence

Statement	Question	English
Du bor i Sverige.	Bor du i Sverige?	Do you live in Sweden?
Hon arbetar idag.	Arbetar hon idag?	Is she working today?
Ni talar engelska.	Talar ni engelska?	Do you speak English?

2️⃣ Question Words (Frågeord)

Swedish	English
vad	what
vem	who
var	where
varför	why
när	when
hur	how

Structure:
Question word + Verb + Subject + ...?

Example (Swedish)	English
Vad gör du på helgen?	What do you do on the weekend?
Var bor du?	Where do you live?
När kommer hon?	When is she coming?
Hur mår du?	How are you?

Practice: Ask and Answer

Translate and answer in Swedish:

1. Do you work today?
2. Where do you live?
3. Why are you not coming?
4. What do you eat for lunch?
5. Are you studying now?

Suggested Answers:

1. Arbetar du idag? – Nej, jag arbetar inte idag.
2. Var bor du? – Jag bor i Göteborg.
3. Varför kommer du inte? – Jag är sjuk.
4. Vad äter du till lunch? – Jag äter soppa.
5. Studerar du nu? – Ja, jag studerar svenska.

🧠 Language Tip

In spoken Swedish, intonation often signals a yes/no question. You’ll hear a rising pitch toward the end of the sentence.