Names
The verb always comes second: Jag heter Bao.
Jag1
heter2 · verb
Bao3
Jag heter Bao means “My name is Bao”, literally “I am called Bao”.
To ask, say Vad heter du? (What’s your name?). The question word takes first place, and the verb is still second.
The first position can also hold a time or a place. The verb stays second, and jag moves behind it: I Stockholm bor jag. (In Stockholm I live.) The first position belongs to one sentence element, which can be a single word or a longer phrase.
A yes-or-no question has no question word, so the verb comes first: Heter du Tuss? (Is your name Tuss?)
Notice the verbs, in yellow. You’ll meet this rule in every chapter.
| Swedish | English | |
|---|---|---|
| Jag heter Bao. | My name is Bao. | |
| Vad heter du? | What’s your name? | |
| Jag heter Tuss! | My name is Tuss! |
Watch out
Jag Bao heter.Jag heter Bao.
jag is pronounced like “ya” (the g is almost silent in everyday speech).