I work, you work, she works
The present tense ends in -r, and it’s the same for everyone: jag jobbar, du jobbar.
jobbadictionary form
+ rpresent
jobbarverb
Many verbs end in -ar: jobbar (works), pratar (talks), börjar (starts), slutar (finishes), frågar (asks), svarar (answers).
The dictionary gives the form without -r: jobba (to work). Add -r and you have the present.
No “works” versus “work” to remember: Jag jobbar, du jobbar, Bao jobbar.
The same form covers “I work” and “I am working”, and it can also describe the near future: Jag jobbar nu. (I’m working now.) Jag jobbar i morgon. (I’m working tomorrow.)
Not every verb ends in -ar. Some end in -er, like heter, and some in just -r, like bor. The rule stays the same: Swedish verbs use the same present-tense form for jag, du and Bao.
| Swedish | English | |
|---|---|---|
| jobba → jag jobbar | to work → I work | |
| prata → du pratar | to talk → you talk | |
| börja → Mi börjar | to start → Mi starts | |
| fråga → Erik frågar | to ask → Erik asks |
Watch out
Jag jobba här.Jag jobbar här.
You already know two -ar verbs from ICA: betalar and kostar.