"Jag älskar en man."

Translation: I love a man.

[Chickenosis]

Duolingo you trolled me so hard. I was saying "Jag älskar en man." and my Swedish friend over Skype was laughing so hard and I didn't look at the translation yet. I won't live this down for a while.

[japanlover3]

To quote Seinfeld: "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

[Halfdanhsb]

Epic

[Noelle_Ambrose]

So glad that there are people here to help us learn the language!

[Plugghest]

Someone on Duolingo commented that "-ar" verbs are pronounced with a grave accent (mid-falling to high-falling pitch) while "-er" verbs are pronounced with the acute accent (high->mid to low pitch), but here "älskar" is pronounced with acute accent. Is it an exception, or did I misunderstand the rule in the first place? Or is there no actual rule? Tack.

[dysphunctional]

I actually hear a grave accent on 'älskar'. Lexin dictionary also says it has a grave accent.

[lesliedawne]

so where do we go -- how do we learn about these pitch accents? I do not understand what you are saying about the "grave" and "acute" accents?? Is there a demo somewhere?

[trielt]

Academia Cervena on Youtube has a video on pitch accents. I found it helpful.

[Nerukuroichi]

Is just of me, when on normal speed the jag doesn't sound like jag in slow speed?

[Zmrzlina]

In slow speed, it sounds a little emphasized, yes. But it sounds OK.

[FLchick]

Instead of yog it sounds like ya, IMO.

[Adrian746440]

i don't even hear anything before älskar. It's weird as hell.

[Thirza.]

Isn't there a change in the verbs with 'Jag' and 'Ni' and 'Vi', like 'I walk, he walkS? Or do all the verbs stay in the same form?

[FilbertMoo]

Yeah, they stay the same. Verbs don't conjugate by person in Swedish like in many other languages. The present tense of "äta" (to eat) is "äter" regardless of whom it is that eats. Jag äter. Du äter. Hon äter.

[grayson598284]

So does this mean you could say, 'Jag älskar du' ?? As in for 'i love you' ?

[Arnauti]

No, because you in 'I love you' is an object. Therefore, du must be in the object form, dig. So it's Jag älskar dig.
It's just that you happens to be the same word in both cases in English – compare to how you wouldn't say He loves we – 'we' is an object so it has to be 'us'.

[FLchick]

So, 'han älskar oss'.

[Aebleskiver59]

When is the G in "jag" pronounced as a hard G sound and when is it silent?

[Arnauti]

We usually don't pronounce the G in jag, except when we speak slowly and/or clearly. (it doesn't sound wrong to say it either though)

[EmaPuklin]

Would it be incorrect if I say "Jag älskar mannen"?

[devalanteriel]

Yes:

• en man = a man
• mannen = the man

[Acid_the_Wolf]

Shouldn't it be I love "That" man

[devalanteriel]

No, that would be den mannen.

[beumarchais]

Wow, this is another word (älskar) I'd love to know the etymology behind!

[Zmrzlina]

Wiktionary has a bit of etymology here on the Old East Norse word ælska, from which älska comes: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/elska#Old_Norse

[Aniklol]

Why was the "Jag" pronounced as "Ya" instead of "Yaw" in this case?

[Blehg]

It's reduced because it's unstressed!

[Aniklol]

What would cause it to be stressed?

[BalvinderC1]

Couldn't this also be translated as 'I love one husband'?
Granted in English, this would be used in very narrow circumstances but nonetheless, it is grammatically correct.

[devalanteriel]

Technically, certainly, though we don't accept it since it's not very feasible. :)

[Archidiakon]

Why is it not Jag älskar om en mann?

[MarcusXyw]

There's never an "om" before älskar,
but there is an "om" before tycker.

If I knew about the grammatical reason for this distinction I would say it (if there even is one), but unfortunately I don't know it.

[Barbara100206]

It' just like e ers ar en man

[Surya-Rose]

I heard "e älskar en man."