men
But
Use 'men' to connect two contrasting ideas or clauses, just like 'but' in English.
How It Works
'Men' is one of the most common conjunctions in Swedish and works very much like 'but' in English. It's used to introduce a statement that contrasts with or is different from the previous one.
As a coordinating conjunction, 'men' connects two main clauses (huvudsatser). A key rule to remember is that the word order in the clause following 'men' follows ordinary main-clause ordering. Men does not itself occupy the first constituent position used in the verb-second rule.
Structure:
[Main Clause 1] + , + men + [Main Clause 2 with normal word order]
Men also connects smaller phrases: en liten men bekväm lägenhet (a small but comfortable apartment). After negation, utan supplies an explicit replacement: inte kaffe utan te. Men remains possible when adding a contrasting fact: Jag dricker inte kaffe, men jag gillar te.
Examples (4)
- Jag gillar kaffe, men jag dricker inte te.
I like coffee, but I don't drink tea.
Word by Word: I like coffee, but I drink not tea.
- Solen skiner, men det är kallt.
The sun is shining, but it is cold.
Word by Word: The sun shines, but it is cold.
- Han är trött, men han måste arbeta.
He is tired, but he has to work.
Word by Word: He is tired, but he must work.
- Boken är bra, men den är väldigt lång.
The book is good, but it is very long.
Word by Word: The book is good, but it is very long.
Common Mistakes
Confusing 'men' with 'utan'
Han är inte från Sverige, men Danmark.Han är inte från Sverige, utan Danmark.Use 'utan' (but rather) after a negative statement to provide a direct correction or alternative. 'Men' is used for general contrast. The correct sentence here means 'He is not from Sweden, but rather Denmark.'
Incorrectly changing word order after 'men'
Filmen var bra, men var den för lång.Filmen var bra, men den var för lång.For the intended statement with den as the first constituent, use den var. If another constituent comes first, inversion is normal: men på slutet var den för lång. Men can also connect a question, expressing a different speech act.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- ochAnd
Like 'men', 'och' (and) is a coordinating conjunction that connects two clauses with normal word order. 'Och' adds information, while 'men' contrasts it.
Level 1 - ellerOr
'Eller' (or) is another coordinating conjunction. It presents an alternative, whereas 'men' presents a contrast.
Level 1 - förFor/because
'För' (for/because) is also a coordinating conjunction that explains the reason for the first clause. It follows the same word order rule as 'men'.
Level 1 - Word order basics
Men stands outside the first constituent position in the following clause. Both men jag stannar and men idag stannar jag obey the ordinary main-clause pattern; men is not an exception to V2.
Foundations
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Practice men in Bubblegum
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