att
To (Infinitive Marker)
Use 'att' before a verb to say 'to do something'. It's the Swedish version of 'to' in 'I like to read'.
How It Works
In Swedish, the word att can introduce a verb in its infinitive form, somewhat like English to. The two languages do not use their infinitive markers in exactly the same constructions. It usually follows another verb to express a desire, intention, or action related to the second verb.
The most common structure is:
Subject + Verb 1 + att + Verb 2 (infinitive)
- Jag gillar att läsa. (I like to read.)
- Hon börjar att arbeta. (She is starting to work.)
Important Exception: Modal Verbs
Modal verbs (hjälpverb) like kan (can), vill (want), ska (will/shall), and måste (must) do not use 'att'. They take a bare infinitive in this construction, though adverbs may intervene: Jag kan inte tala svenska.
- Jag kan tala svenska. (I can speak Swedish.) - NOT 'kan att tala'
- Vi vill resa. (We want to travel.) - NOT 'vill att resa'
Note: 'att' can also mean 'that' and introduce a sub-clause. See att-clauses for that usage.
Three Patterns To Learn
Use a dictionary’s construction information rather than translating every English to: gillar att läsa; börjar (att) läsa and försöker (att) läsa; kan läsa. These represent required in the neutral model, optional, and bare-infinitive patterns.
An infinitive phrase may also stand as subject: Att läsa är roligt, or follow an adjective: Det är viktigt att läsa. An adverb may come between marker and verb: att inte läsa. Att marks the phrase; it does not have to touch the infinitive.
Compare Jag vill läsa, with a bare infinitive, and Jag vill att du läser, with the conjunction att and a finite clause. A rule about omitting the infinitive marker after vill is not a ban on every later occurrence of the word att.
Examples (5)
- Jag gillar att läsa.
I like to read.
Word by Word: I like to read.
- Vi börjar att studera svenska.
We are starting to study Swedish.
Word by Word: We start to study Swedish.
Att is optional after börjar: Vi börjar studera svenska is also grammatical.
- Han försöker att sova.
He is trying to sleep.
Word by Word: He tries to sleep.
Att is optional after försöker: Han försöker sova is also grammatical.
- Det är viktigt att äta frukost.
It is important to eat breakfast.
Word by Word: It is important to eat breakfast.
The infinitive phrase follows the adjective viktigt here. An infinitive phrase need not follow another main verb.
- Glöm inte att ringa mig!
Don't forget to call me!
Word by Word: Forget not to call me!
Common Mistakes
Using 'att' after modal verbs like 'kan', 'vill', or 'ska'.
Jag kan att tala svenska.Jag kan tala svenska.In the ordinary auxiliary construction kan takes a bare infinitive: Jag kan tala svenska. The same model applies to vill, ska and måste. This does not prohibit a separate att-clause with its own subject, as in Jag vill att du kommer.
Forgetting to use 'att' after verbs that require it.
Jag gillar läsa böcker.Jag gillar att läsa böcker.The neutral standard model is gillar att läsa. Do not generalize this to börjar and försöker: both börjar läsa and börjar att läsa, and both försöker läsa and försöker att läsa, are accepted.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use the infinitive marker 'att', you need to be familiar with basic verb forms and how sentences are structured in Swedish.
Related Patterns
- villWant to
Vill takes a bare infinitive when the intended actor is its subject: Jag vill äta. Jag vill att du äter contains a finite att-clause with its own subject, a different construction.
Level 2 - kanCan/be Able to
Like 'vill', 'kan' is another essential modal verb that does not use 'att' before the next verb (e.g., 'hon kan simma').
Level 2 - ska/skallWill/shall
Ska takes a bare infinitive in the ordinary auxiliary construction: vi ska resa. Adverbs can intervene, as in vi ska inte resa; bare does not mean immediately adjacent.
Level 2 - för attIn Order to
This phrase builds on 'att' and means 'in order to' or 'to'. It's used to explain the purpose of an action (e.g., 'Jag studerar för att lära mig svenska').
Level 2 - That-clause structure
'att' can also mean 'that' and introduce a subordinate clause. It's important to distinguish this from its use as an infinitive marker.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
- -ande/-endePresent ParticipleLevel 2
- kommer attGoing toLevel 2
- måsteMust/have toLevel 2
- be någon attAsk Someone toLevel 3
- detAnticipatory DetLevel 3
- genom attBy -ingLevel 3
- i stället för attInstead of -ingLevel 3
- utan attWithout -ingLevel 3
And 10 more in the full list.
Words in This Pattern
Practice att in Bubblegum
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