"Jag letar efter en restaurang."

Translation: I am looking for a restaurant.

[CJ_Schweiss]

I just saw the example "Jag letar efter pojken", which meant "I am looking after the boy".

So, why would "Jag letar efter en restaurang" not translate to "I am looking after a restaurant"? (maybe it does, but the answer wasn't accepted)

In English, "I am looking after a restaurant" and "I am looking for a restaurant" have two very different meanings; the first implies you are possibly taking care of the restaurant on behalf of the owner, while the second implies you are simply looking for a place to eat.

[JonEnMiljon]

I would translate "I am looking after the boy" to "Jag tar hand om pojken" or "Jag passar pojken". (if you want to tell that you are babysitting for example). "Jag letar efter pojken" can only translate to "I am looking for the boy", after would be incorrect in this case. Swedish speakers often make incorrect translations into English because e.g. "leta efter" and "look after" sound similar.

[Arnauti]

This is correct. We don't have the sentence Jag letar efter pojken in the course, the closest one is probably De letar efter honom https://www.duolingo.com/comment/15459373 – which of course translates as 'They are looking for him'.

[NordicWay]

ok ok after that I'm sure that I am completely lost about which prepositions we use and how every one of them changes meaning depending on the verb-general meaning etc... :(

[muhidinmuh2]

For me it didn't accept "searching" even though I'm quite sure that it's correct in English to say "I am searching for a restaurant"...

[Siten10]

I look after a restaurant

[TanyaBasto]

This is why I wished there was a Swedish course in the German language in the Duolingo mobile app!

[CapdeBurro]

So, Jag letar en restaurang is correct as well?

[Zmrzlina]

No, you need efter here. I'm not sure as to why though.

[Lundgren8]

It’s just the preposition you use with many verbs for looking, like leta, söka, snoka etc.

[Pocketmoose]

Earlier there was the sentence "Jag letar arbete." Is that the only case where "efter" isn't needed?

[Lundgren8]

Correct, I can’t think of any other example where you can omit the ”efter” from the top of my head.

[Espatially]

So "letar för" would never be correct? "For" is the preposition we use with this verb in English.

[JonEnMiljon]

No, "leta för" is not used. I think you would be understood but it's not correct. Prepositions are tricky...

[hobomonkey990]

I'm fairly sure "I search after," is technically correct in English as well.

[CapdeBurro]

I was not sure because on another sentence there wasn't "efter" and you said there could be.

[Hjtunfgb]

Does letar have another meaning without efter? Or is it just incorrect to use it by itself?