efter
After
Use 'efter' to say 'after' something, like 'efter skolan' (after school).
How It Works
'Efter' is one of the most common prepositions in Swedish and directly translates to 'after'. It's primarily used to talk about sequence and time.
1. Time:
You use 'efter' to say that something happens after a specific point in time, an event, or a period.
- efter skolan (after school)
- efter klockan tre (after three o'clock)
- efter sommaren (after the summer)
2. Sequence or Order:
It's also used to describe the order of things.
- B kommer efter A. (B comes after A.)
- Vem är efter mig i kön? (Who is after me in the line?)
These examples use efter before a noun phrase. It also occurs without an expressed complement, as in komma efter (come behind), and in efter att + clause or infinitive. Learn other lexical combinations separately: leta efter means look for, not look after.
Examples (5)
- Jag äter middag efter jobbet.
I eat dinner after work.
Word by Word: I eat dinner after the-job.
- Vi ses efter lektionen.
See you after the lesson.
Word by Word: We see-each-other after the-lesson.
- B kommer efter A i alfabetet.
B comes after A in the alphabet.
Word by Word: B comes after A in the-alphabet.
- Han kommer hem efter klockan fem.
He comes home after five o'clock.
Word by Word: He comes home after clock five.
- Vad ska du göra efter filmen?
What are you going to do after the movie?
Word by Word: What shall you do after the-movie?
How It Connects
Learn This First
The preposition 'efter' is a foundational spatial and temporal marker. To use it effectively in sentences, a learner should understand how nouns are structured, particularly how to form the definite singular which is common in time-based expressions like 'after dinner'.
Related Patterns
- föreBefore
The direct opposite of 'efter', meaning 'before'. For example, 'före maten' (before the food).
Level 1 - efter attAfter
Efter att can introduce a finite clause, as in efter att vi hade ätit, or a perfect infinitive, as in efter att ha ätit. Both locate the following situation after the eating.
Level 2 - innanBefore
A conjunction meaning 'before', the opposite of 'efter att'. It's used before a full clause.
Level 2 - iIn
Another core preposition for time and place. While 'efter' indicates sequence, 'i' often indicates a point in time or duration (e.g., 'i morgon' - tomorrow, 'i en timme' - for an hour).
Level 1 - påOn/at
A common preposition for time, often used with days of the week ('på fredag' - on Friday). Learning these prepositions together helps build a complete understanding of time expressions.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice efter in Bubblegum
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