"How do you cook?"

Translation: Hur lagar du mat?

[fredrik.he]

It doesn't ask specific for food.

[Jungla3]

But you can't say "Hur lagar du?" in Swedish. It sounds really weird, so you have to specify what you are cooking. "Lagar" kan also mean "fix/repair", you see.

Saying "Hur lagar du?" would be like saying "How do you make?". Something is missing in that sentence.

[Enj649694]

I get it now, I guess it's similar in English, one could say: 'I will fix you some food'

[Olesja386275]

Oh, thank you! Finally somebody explained!

[terminalnode]

You should regard "att laga mat" as a phrasal verb meaning "to cook". Like Jungla3 was saying "att laga" means "to repair".

[MonsieurCal]

I'm confused about the inversion for questions. I understand the V2 rule for verbs, can this sentence be "Hur lagar mat du?

[finnandersson]

It isn't "hur lagar mat du?", that would be asking "how do you food cook?"

[hijuehada]

Your example would put more emphasis on 'du' by separating it. Another valid sentence with a slightly different connotation/tone

[StevenH89]

Could someone explain the V2 rule please?

[Arnauti]

I wrote some about it here: https://www.duolingo.com/comment/8970470

[RahulRoy231249]

Why cant it be hur lagar mat du?

[devalanteriel]

laga mat isn't really a phrasal verb in Swedish, but rather a verb and an object that are both required for the meaning of the phrase. Considering that, what happens in the question is that the subject and the verb switch places, but the object remains in place.

[NassimOuaz1]

tack så mycket för all hjälp!

[lagolas2010]

I wrote "Hur kocker du"

[devalanteriel]

That would be hur kokar du?, but it would mean cook as in boil, not as in preparing food.

[LaneV88]

Ha! I got the order right on a hunch that it probably wasn't as simple as it looken.