"Tolken talar varken svenska eller engelska."
Translation:The interpreter speaks neither Swedish nor English.
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2444
"I want to apply for the Swedish-English interpreter job." "Do you speak Swedish fluently?" "Not at all, only English. But I would accept to be paid half."
Yes, because there's never any need for interpreters between any other two languages in Sweden.
So heller is used when negating only one thing at a time? For example: - Jag tycker inte om fisken. - Jag inte heller.
Eller means or.
Heller means "also" or "in addition" but is only used in combination with a negating word, such as inte/not, aldrig/never, knappast/barely...
Examples:
Tolken talar inte svenska. Han talar inte heller engelska. The interpreter doesn't speak Swedish. He also doesn't speak English.
Varken jag eller min kompis gillar fisk. Neither me nor my friend likes fish.
Jag tycker inte om fisk. Inte min kompis heller. I don't like fish. Neither does my friend.
Jag äter aldrig kött eller fisk. I never eat meat or fish.
Jag äter aldrig kött och inte fisk heller. Jag never eat meat and i also never eat fish.
You're right, but I would generally translate eller as "either" rather than "also". As you say, it's only used in the negative.
I am not a native but I heard inte jag heller sounds better, will someone please confirm this?
"Inte jag heller" is correct. "Inte heller jag" is also fine. "Jag inte heller" is wrong.
I'm native so I go more by feeling than knowing the actual rules so I'm afraid I can't explain why.
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I had this as a "write what you hear" exercise. I've never had one so long, but It felt really good to get It right!
I'm still a bit confused about how to use 'talar' versus 'pratar'. I have only heard talar used in regard to formal speeches and things when I've heard native Swedish speakers. In an everyday situation, would someone actually use talar here? Or would it be pratar?
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If swedish is anything like dutch, prater would only refer to the actual act of speaking, and talar would also have a more abstract use. You can 'talar' english even though you are quiet at the moment (so you do not 'pratar' right now), but are able to speak the language because you know it. Similar with not talking to someone because you are e.g. very mad at a person, then you to not 'talar'. But you and a friend still 'talar', even though you do not 'pratar' right now because you are at work/asleep, in different rooms, etc. It would be neat if a swede could give feedback on this though, I am also learning :P
Yup, but that's for when there is no "nor" part. Also, the neuter ingetdera is normally better since Swedish defaults to that in isolation.
- We eat neither = Vi äter ingetdera
- We eat neither a nor b = Vi äter varken a eller b
It's approaching formality, though, and you're not very likely to hear it in colloquial speech.
Why can't it be "does not speak swedish nor english"? Doesn't that mean the same? (I am not a native English speaker so might be confused there)
Great word with impressive etyomolgy. Courtesy Dictionary of the Swedish Academy: varken - Etymologi [fsv. hvarte; motsv. fd. hwærki(n) (d. hverken), fvn. hvár(t)ki (nor. nn. korkje, nyisl. hvorki); sammanfogning av det pron. som föreligger i fvn. hvárt (n. av hvárr), vilketdera (av två) (se VAR, pron.), och den enklitiska negationspartikeln -gi(n) (se ALDRIG; jfr äv. EJ, adv., INGEN, VARKEN, pron.); med avs. på former med -s-, jfr MASK, sbst.1 — Jfr ANTINGEN, NEUTRUM] source: https://www.saob.se/artikel/?unik=V_0423-0005.vbj6&pz=5
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I answer this and it incorrect. the neither and speak can't switch the position? The interpreter neither speaks Swedish nor English.
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What is the difference, if any, between a "translator" and an "interpreter"? The translator speaks neither swedish nor english should be accepted.
